


Street Lights/Stormy Nights

by exhostar



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Astraphobia, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, Salmon Run, Slow Burn, also did i mention lesbians, badly written fight/action scenes, i guess, i'll add tags as i go, lots of headcanons, one of these days im gonna rewrite the summary so that i dont hate it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-04-27 22:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14435784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exhostar/pseuds/exhostar
Summary: Kai had noticed her friends were acting differently. Lily was even more reserved and quiet, Luca was increasingly angrier and unreliable. Sasha watched over it without a single intervention.But, then again, none of them were sheltering a violent and volatile octoling, she guessed.





	1. Calm

Night had fallen on Inkopolis, and the air felt cold and crisp. There was always a peaceful feeling, when the city was so quiet, and it _was_ quiet, even more than usual. The square was completely empty, so devoid of all the usual cheer and character it held in the day. Large screens that would normally show music videos, weapon advertisements, product placements, seemed to loom over the cool concrete, and the bleak storefronts stood imposingly, displays covered by metal slats. Even the Battle Lobby had been powered down.

 

It was much past midnight, and though clouds had began to gather over the cityscape, it was a perfectly clear night. Save from the occasional flickering lamp post, the only light came from the dimly-lit building that seemed to be boarded up and shut almost constantly. However, the neon signs stood proudly within the building, casting a soft orange-and-red glow in the corner of Inkopolis Square, and the shutters that normally barred entry in were slid aside.

 

A group of four inklings, buzzing with energy despite the time, all came out of the establishment at the same time, laughing and chatting and grinning together. The doors snapped closed as soon as they did. All four seemed completely unaware of their surroundings as they pressed against each other, stepped over the circular grate on the floor and onto the road, walking across the Square.

 

Kai, let out a quiet sigh, her shoulders slumping as she did. “God, Salmon Run is fun and all - don’t get me wrong - but Mr. Grizz gives me the creeps.” She brushed her tentacles behind her ear, idly blowing at her side swept fringe. “He pays aight though, so I can deal.”

 

“Ya bet yer ass he pays. Wouldn’t have a place otherwise,” the girl beside her snorted, nose scrunching in amusement. She swung her arm around Kai’s shoulders, bringing her other arm to pat her head. “I wouldn’t wanna see my sister on the streets an’ all!”

 

“Sash- gerroff me!” she huffed, ducking out of her grasp, scrambling to fix her beanie. “God, you’re insuff—“

 

The taller girl groaned, “What’s insufferable is you two.”

 

“Innit, Lil? So sickly sweet and adorable. They’re almost as cute as the Squid Sisters,” the boy snarked, joining in with the teasing. He had a skull bandana wrapped around his nose and mouth, which ruffled slightly as he barked out a rough laugh.

 

“Ya say that as if I haven’t seen you with your girlfriend. Can’t hide, Luca.”

 

Glancing aside, the younger girl shoved her hands in the pockets of her oversized hoodie, tuning out their idle chatter (and Luca snorting in indignance); out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a faint, bluish glow. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a closer look.

 

It was in one of the ginnels behind the stores on the right. As far as she knew, there wasn’t _much_ to look at there, just dumpsters and fire exits. Kai wondered if, and why, anyone would want to be in there. Might’ve been just a kid who snuck out, or a skulking Jellie. That would explain the glow, at least. Or, better yet, it was a Super Sea Snail, which was definitely valuable, to say the least. As much as her mind screamed not to, her curiosity got the better of her.

 

“-be off, right Kai?” Her sister frowned slightly at the sight of her staring off. “Hey, Kai?”

 

Humming slightly, she replied with, “O-oh, mind if I take a walk? ‘m not too tired, honestly.”

 

Sasha thought on it. “Don’t stay out too late. Or early. I dunno, these shifts are messin’ with my brain.”

 

She nodded, giving a silent reply, which seemed to be enough as the three waved goodbye. And then, Kai was alone.

 

Waiting until the other three had left, Kai suddenly wondered why she had insisted on going by herself. Being outside, surrounded by strangers got anxiety pumping through her body - it’s probably why she felt more comfortable working shifts for Grizzco than what was, in her mind, performing for a crowd and being splatted dozens of times over in a Turf War. Yet she couldn’t decide whether it was worse than being vulnerable in the dead of the night. Where no one could witness her death.

 

And it was a lot more daunting than she expected. And maybe this was a bad idea. At least, that’s what the lump in her throat was saying. And her unsteady breathing. Were her footsteps always so loud?

 

Kai took a deep breath, which was an achievement for her. And anyway, it was probably nothing! Just a trick of the light. Yeah.

 

The moon had decided to come out, and it gleamed in the shallow puddles that pooled in dips and potholes. Though the rain was inevitable, and water was particularly harmful, such small quantities couldn’t do so much but sting, especially if it was just on skin. Kai had heard myths of inklings imploding after being submerged under it. The thought alone was enough to make her shudder.

 

_Jeez. And to think that creatures used to rely on it._

 

A quiet splashing sound caused the small inkling to whip her head around, sure that it had come from the same ginnel. “There’s no turning back,” she muttered, to no one in particular, senses on high alert, and she balled her hands into fists, cracking her shoulders. She’d just dealt with deadly hoards of Chum and Cohock charges. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t deal with a rowdy, full-of-themself kid. Yeah.

 

_Shit. I’m doing this, aren’t I._

 

Taking a couple more steps towards the dark alley, each footfall echoing in her head, the girl gingerly peered around the corner, eyes blown wide, and bracing herself to run, or hide-

 

And there was nothing.

 

“Well, that was completely worthless,” she snorted, laughing at herself for being so anxious, and started to walk away, kicking the puddles with small splashes.

 

But then, she was on the floor, which hadn’t really registered in her mind, until she felt a hand press against her chest, legs straddling her, and someone much, _much,_ more powerful towering over her prone body, her next thought being, _Oh, this seems bad,_ mind racing, so scrambled she didn’t even _think_ to scream for help before a fist knocked the wind out of her and a sweaty hand covered her mouth.

 

Letting out a muffled squeak, Kai bit hard on the hand’s ring finger, causing the attacker to jerk their arm away like they just got shocked by a zapfish. She tried not to let the taste of copper bother her as she lunged forwards in a futile attempt to escape. It was obvious that she didn’t fare well in a street brawl - cursing silently at her reliance on weapons. The attacker merely shifted their weight, snorting at her incompetence.

 

Only then it occurred to her to look up at her captor’s face. It was a pale olive, with dark freckles smattered across their cheekbones. Their lips were turned into a devilish grin, a tongue running over pointed teeth. More interesting was the thick, metal goggles that obscured their eyes, and the deep crimson-black tentacles that tapered at the ends, covered in small, numerous suckers, which was as fascinating as it was terrifying, and though she felt the dread pooling in her stomach with the realisation, Kai couldn’t help but be distracted by one small detail.

 

In the pale gleam of the moonlight, her suckers seemed to glow a soft blue.

  


* * *

 

 

The inkling snarled, baring its teeth in an attempt to intimidate. Its indigo tendrils were flopped uselessly on the concrete. “The fuck do you want?” There was a hint of shakiness in its brash voice, low and rasping in the cool air, betraying its attempts to be fearless.

 

In return, the octoling merely smiled, pressing her face closer to the trembling inkling. “You saw me,” she said simply, smooth like silk. “And that was your first mistake.”

 

“So what? You gonna kill me?” it bit back, eyes widening slightly at the realisation that yeah, she probably was.

 

The attacker’s smile only grew, reaching into her heavy boot, slipping out a small, one sided blade. “Your words, not mine.” She grinned as the inkling’s eyes slammed shut, trying its hardest not to squeak, and she drew the knife up, watching its movements carefully, drinking up its helplessness. It braced itself in desperation, panting, waiting for the blade to fall, aimed towards its neck, and let out a shrill cry as it sank down, feeling the liquid pooling around the side of its face-

 

-into its tentacle, piercing an ink sac.

 

“But that wouldn’t be fun, would it sweetie?” The sadistic grin spread across the octoling’s cheeks, revelling in making it suffer. She pulled the knife from the tentacle, causing it to jolt in silent pain. It stared back at her like a deer in the headlights, tremoring in silent sobs. She almost pitied it. But she didn’t need that distraction right now.

 

“And anyway, you’re not much use to me dead.”

 

With that, the blade was slid carefully back into its sheath, and the octoling slammed the inkling’s head into the ground, before picking it up over her shoulders and carrying it away with a sigh.

 

Oh, how much fun they would have.

 

* * *

 

 

When Kai woke up, she discovered that she was tied up, wrists bound against a cool, metal gutter pipe, with a pounding head, barely able to think. A quick glance told her that the sun hadn’t fully risen, painting the sky an angry orange, dark streaks scattered across the sky. The octoling wasn’t here. As she planned her escape, she wrestled with the heavy rope bindings, straining her muscles to pull them apart, as if it would actually work.

 

Replaying last night’s events, the inkling honestly wanted to scream. She’d been so stupid to isolate herself at night - and only an idiot would walk the city that late - and even then she was barely aware of her surroundings. Her idiocy caused her to be squidnapped, and she didn’t even know where she was, or how to get back. _Sasha’s gonna murder me_ , she groaned inwardly as she focused on the ties.

 

Kai tried to calm herself down, evening out her breaths and untensing her muscles, stopping her futile attempts at escape. Letting out a humourless laugh, the inkling slipped into her squid form, realising how much easier her life would be if she had just used her head in the moment instead of freaking the _fuck_ out. She hopped out of the bindings, reforming her skin and shaking off any excess ink, before quickly surveying her surroundings. The exact same ginnel as before.

 

Then she legged it the hell out of there.

 

To be honest, Kai wasn’t much of a runner. Though she had good stamina and fair muscular strength, a result of hauling around all sorts of weapons, the girl was incapable of sprinting. The sense of urgency, coupled with the worry over her sister, however, suddenly allowed her to clumsily speed down grey streets to her apartment block. She instinctively ran her hand through her tentacles - a nervous habit - feeling the messy and deep nick that had barely started to heal. The skin around it was soft and sensitive; she hissed as she as she applied pressure.

 

There was an uncomfortable quiet. It wasn’t silent, not by all means. Soft breezes that brushed against trees, the distant revving of a motor, subtle chirps and clicks from tiny insects. Normally, these sounds were comforting, a small and welcoming ambience that reminded her that she wasn’t all alone. Staring out of the tiny window in her room, watching the way the moon played and cast shadows against her wall. Kai normally loved it.

 

Now? It was unnerving.

 

The inkling couldn’t shake off the creeping, hindering feeling that she was being watched. Every sound a reminder that she wasn’t alone. She reasoned that, if the octoling had realised she had escaped, she would’ve long been dead. _But what if she’s following me for information?_ What information could they possibly get out of a quick walk?

 

Rounding a corner, Kai finally started to slow, panting desperately for air. Goddamn had she never run like that before. She reached for the keys, and let out a loud groan as she realised she’d left them in the house.

 

She wiped her hands against her shorts, catching her breath before darting into the small alley to the side of her building, and hauled herself over one of the railings onto the fire escapes. It was a good thing she never closed her damn window, she thought, clambering up the loud steel stairs, despite Sasha insisting that someone would steal from them. Yeah, as if there was anything _worth_ stealing in the first place. Kai grunted as she grabbed onto the narrow awning above the glass, straining her body and pulling upwards. Slipping through the tiny gap up top, the girl was able to fit through with her squid form, and collapsed onto the uncomfortable bed pushed up against the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiya! this is my first fic, so drop a comment telling me everything i did wrong, thanks


	2. Sunshine/Skyline

A soft chuckle stirred the girl from her sleep. “Hey kiddo.”

 

Sunlight streamed through the dusty window; from what she could see, it was bright and temperate, and only a few white clouds marred the faint azure sky. The opening in the glass had been closed since last night.

 

Sasha leant against the doorframe with an amused look on her face and her arms folded against her body, one moving to brush a long tentacle away from her eyes. She was only three years older, but seemed so much more mature and composed. The kind of person that you don’t approach as they fix you with an intimidating stare, so sure and confident in themself. For the longest time, her younger sister looked up at her, almost idolised her. Though she wouldn’t admit it, she still did, to a point.

 

Groaning, Kai mumbled, “Ugh. What time is it?” She pushed herself up, turning to face her sister.

 

“Elevenish. Grizz has some shifts open in a couple hours, if ya feelin’ up to it. We’re meetin’ up at Sean’s.” Sasha grinned as she pressed a steaming mug into the younger girl’s hands. “Have a feeling you’ll need this.”

 

She nodded, gingerly grasping the cup and taking a sip, the flow of caffeine rushing through her. “I’ll be out soon, cheers Sash.”

 

Sasha threw a hand back in acknowledgement, flashing a quick smile before turning to leave and closing the door behind her. As soon as she did, Kai set down the mug and flopped exhaustedly onto the bed, still tired despite hours of rest. She let herself lay there, just for a couple minutes, head thrown back and eyes scrunched up, completely filled with hollow regret. The mattress groaned as she reluctantly got up again, stood up tiredly in the middle of her room, stretching and letting out a disgruntled moan.

 

_Shit. What the fuck happened last night?_

 

Kai threw her oversized hoodie off, having not changed at all last night, and threw another one on over her sports bra, not even bothering to put a shirt on. It didn’t really matter anyway - all four of them would have to don a squeaky plastic hazmat suit, and she also didn’t really care that her friends would see her topless, in all honesty. She messily stuffed her tentacles into a beanie in an attempt to cover the wound, before pulling on different pair of leggings. The girl grabbed her mask and pulled it over her face, covering a few scratches and cuts, before shirking downstairs, cradling the still-warm mug in her hands.

 

She smiled to herself slightly, hidden underneath her mask, as she thought of her friends.

 

“‘ey Kay. Ya ready?” Sasha was sat on the counter, not even looking up as she scrolled idly through her phone, wearing her aviators despite being in a dimly lit kitchenette. Her parka hung loosely off of her shoulders, overtop a fitted black vest.

 

“Huh? We’ve still got a while yet, right?”

 

Her sister hummed. “Said we’d be there ‘bout twelvish. We got twenty minutes.” Slipping her phone into a pocket, the older inkling pushed herself off the counter with a sign. “An’ we still gotta get changed as well.”

 

Snorting, Kai muttered, “You need to be, like, more precise with the time, y’know.”

 

“Eh. Who cares,” Sasha grinned, holding the door open and letting the younger one pass.

 

The walk was a pleasant one, much more enjoyable than Kai’s late-night dash. Speaking of, it was starting to feel more and more like a fever dream, or something of the sort. It was surreal. As if an _octoling_ was in the city in the first place, let alone going out and attacking just about anybody - a surefire way of bringing attention to themself.

 

A lot if it felt real though. The cut in her tentacle was even dirtier than she thought. She was bruised on her arms, her chest, her stomach. Her head was still pounding.

 

She probably should’ve worn an undershirt today.

 

Both of them walked silently beside each other. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence at all, but it just felt slightly off. Kai chose to stare absently at the birds nestled in trees and scattered across the pavement. Smiling to herself every so often as the sun shone on, the temperature not too stuffy, nor too chilly. It was completely average, normal.

 

Sasha glanced at her, pocketing her hands and pulling a face.

 

They arrived at the square, settling down on one of the flimsy metal table sets adjacent to the food truck, dragging over a couple extra chairs for the rest when they would come.

 

“So what are the weapons this tide?” Kai asked idly, staring off at the storefronts, so brightly coloured and vibrant.

 

“Rapid Blaster, Gloogas, Foil Flingza and Scope, I think,” came the reply. “Don’t properly remember though - don’t hold that against me.”

 

The younger inkling suppressed a sigh - she’d played a brush weapon once and loved it, but they rarely cropped up in the shifts’ weapon rotations. “Hmm. Outta everything I think I prefer the charger, actually.” She wasn’t great at them, but she needed the practice and it normally kept her out of the fray.

 

Nodding, Sasha replied with, “Yeah, they’re pretty sub-par this time. Could be worse though, and I like the Flingza rollers.”

 

“Nah, they take too long to fling. Like, it’s legit in the name, why’sit take such a long…”

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Kai had spotted a third member of their crew, her wavy, shoulder length tentacles and fringe swaying every so often in the cool breeze. She had a pair of headphones covering pointed ears, and a mask that was drawn under her chin, revealing a small smirk playing on her lips. She was tall, but not overly so, and radiated confidence with every step as she headed towards the two siblings. Kai glanced away, snapping her mouth shut, much to Sasha’s amusement who caught her sister’s reaction almost instantly.

 

“How’s it goin, Lil?” the older led, sparing Kai for now.

 

Voice low, yet surprisingly bouncy, the tall inkling replied with, “I’m still not over how irregular this damn job’s hours are.” She grumbled, dragging a seat and sitting down, one of her legs folded underneath her. “How long’d you sleep for?”

 

“I’d say about five hours,” Kai said with a snort. “With how late Luc is, he’s probably still in bed.”

 

That seemed to be a reasonable answer, judging by their reactions, along with a snort from her sister, and the younger girl wondered just how long she was out for. Glancing back at the alleyway, Kai couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. She let one arm flop to her side, the other propped up on the table, and leant back slightly, setting her gaze back on Lil, who seemed to be watching her intently. “What’re you lookin’ at?” she snarked with a grin, just barely noticeable under thin fabric.

 

The taller one opened her mouth to reply, and was rudely interrupted by the scraping of a chair and shifting of fabric. “‘Sup, fuckers?” the boy laughed, leaning back in his seat. He had the same, dark skull bandana over his mouth, wearing a graphic tee over a thin long sleeve, and strappy, fingerless gloves. Cracking his knuckles, he grumbled, “So when’re we getting this food? ‘m starving here.”

 

“We were having a pleasant conversation, Luca,” Sasha complained. “Why d’ya have t’ ruin everything.”

 

“Oof,” Lil snorted as the boy narrowed his eyes and scowled. “Nah but seriously, I’m hungry too.”

 

* * *

 

 

She had left for no more than an hour, but in that time, her prey had already escaped, a reminder that she had a fraction of the tools that the octolings would normally have at their disposal.

 

Perhaps she should’ve panicked, hunted it down. It could report her presence in the city, it could get it thrown in prison. It could bring all of its friends to tourment, to torture, to maul, to interrogate, to murder her. She would have to kill them off or flee back to the Canyon with her tail between her legs. She couldn’t bring herself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a bit shorter than what i'd like as this chapter and the next were originally supposed to be the same chapter but then it got too long and moved a bit too fast, whoops. i hope you enjoy it anyway, lmao.
> 
> also i imply that the glooga dualies were bad but i wrote this before the 3.0 patch okay


	3. Shifting Tides/Cast You Aside

The tiny changing rooms that Mr. Grizz provided were adequate for the job, if slightly uncomfortable. The walls were just big bricks painted yellowish white, with black skirting boards - torn up and scratched up - the dark linoleum floors inexplicably had glitter embedded in it, alongside grey and white dapples. Dark wood lined the walls,  the same wood as the benches underneath, with black square steel hooks drilled into the planks. Behind a doorless wall were some shower cubicles, on a slant to bring the water towards the drains. It wasn’t pretty, to say the least, but it was did its job and that was it.

 

The quieter inkling shucked off her Zekko hoodie, hanging it on the hook beside her mask and beanie. Kai let out a sigh, slumping her shoulders slightly as her mid-length tendrils fell across her bare back, before grunting slightly as she stretched. With the satisfying _pop_ of her shoulder and neck, she smiled slightly with an exhale, before gazing down at the floor, tying her tentacles into a messy bun. Winced as she touched the wound. When she looked up again, the inkling found herself making eye contact with the taller girl against the opposite wall, and raised her eyebrow just slightly. The other girl gasped quietly, a faint blue tinge dusting her flustered face before she rushedly averted her gaze.

 

***

 

She swung the roller over her shoulder, snorting at how she just _knew_ she’d end up with it on their final wave of the night. As the tide lowered, she hopped off the hull of the ship, hauling the heavy roller over her head and flinging a long stripe of pink to land in as she called out to her team. The dualies beside her landed in a roll and flashed her a grin before saluting and falling backwards into a pool of ink, hurling a bomb into a Flyfish bin. Kai couldn’t but snicker at her sister’s personality, and charged forwards down one of the branches of land, crushing Chum and Smallfry in her path. “Steelhead down right!” she yelled over the swaying sound of the tide.

 

Taking out the boss with the help of a blaster, the roller grabbed an egg and nestled it under her arm, swinging her weapon and paving a path for Luca to swim behind. As she spun around, she found a Cohock, half stained in ink, looming over her, far too close to be able to retaliate. She braced herself for a hit, knowing Luca could res her easily, when a shot of ink whistled past her, taking out the salmonid that was eager to attack. She whipped her head to find Lil waving cheerfully at her atop the ship, before snapping back to her charger and reviving an overwhelmed Sasha.

 

Kai gave her a thumbs up before diving into the ink and flanking a Scrapper; as the other two delivered eggs she tried to keep the hoards out of their way, and maybe score another boss, when she was flanked by a large, green bulb.

 

The girl skidded in enemy ink, barely dodging getting splatted by the Steelhead bomb, but drenched from head-to-toe in the sickly, slimy, forest green. She shuddered at how cool it felt, even over top of the rubbery suit provided.

 

Realising she was out of ink, the younger inkling squeaked and ripped open her last special packet, immediately being blasted into the air and aiming her shots into the bins of another Flyfish, taking out some lesser salmonids in the process. It lasted a few, blissful seconds until she was ejected out of the machine, and found a Steel Eel coiling around her body. It disintegrated around her with a well aimed shot from above.

 

Since it seemed mostly quiet, she started scooping up the eggs one at a time and began the tedious process of picking up the scattered orbs as the other two fended off snatchers and the ever-spawning bosses. She rolled straight over a previously damaged Scrapper, collected the egg, delivered it to the basket. Rinse and repeat. They were well over quota now, but goddamnit did she really want a bonus.

 

There was twenty seconds left of the wave, and Kai found that she was suddenly splatted, embarrassingly so by a damn Smallfry that had snuck up behind her. Thing is, three of them had been splatted, and the only one standing was the dualie wielder. She wondered how the scope even managed to end up swarmed, before she looked up and found the mouth of a pink, fleshy Maws chomping upwards at the hull.

 

Luca growled furiously. “We’ve got quota, just stay alive!” His voice was slightly muffled by the ink.

 

Ink coverage was bad, and Sasha found that she relied on her dodge roll for a quick getaway, finding some pink to land in before speeding to the opposite side of the map, towards the fan platform. She hauled a bomb over towards one of the life rings near the basket, before darting away from the oncoming hordes. The small burst of ink was _just_ close enough, and there was suddenly a bright pink ray of ink being shot across the map, taking out the majority of Chum and one of the Stingers.

 

The salmonids started retreating, glowing eggs washed away by the tide, and then the small island was completely quiet. They all crowded together before being superjumped back to the boat.

 

***

 

Though dark and murky, the normally choppy and violent waves were tame and pleasant, leading to a quiet, yet long trip back to Inkopolis. The younger inkling leant against the railings on the edge of the deck, the stiff and harsh wind stinging her face and ruffling her tentacles as she stared blankly at the ocean’s surface. Her helmet, along with the sickly teal gloves, had been since abandoned, discarded somewhere under deck, and her obnoxiously pink tendrils had been let down.

 

Sun beginning to set, the sky was filled with angry clouds gathering overhead, and it looked to be a dreary night. The only lights above deck were warm-tinted lanterns and candles, and though it would be easy enough to install electrical lighting, it gave the small boat a cute, almost endearing atmosphere. Kai let out a sigh. It was cold, and as the adrenaline started to fade, her piercing headache returned once again.

 

“Heya.” Glancing up, she saw her friend smiling down at her, though it looked like it was forced. “You should come inside. It’s cold, and I think the rain’s gonna roll in soon.

 

Replying with a noncommittal shrug, Lil let out a shaky breath, and joined Kai in looking at the sea. After minutes of silence, she dared, “a-are you okay?”

 

“Whaddya mean?” came the reply.

 

“That. I.. you,” she trailed off with a frustrated sigh. “You’re even _more_ quieter today than usual, and you’re... you’re _covered_ in bruises! What happened?”

 

Yeah, that undershirt idea seemed appealing now.

 

Kai’s immediate thought was that she was disappointed at the reason why Lil was staring at her earlier, causing to fight off a serious flush. “Hm. I thought someone had their eyes on me.”

 

The attempt to lighten the mood backfired as the taller inkling blushed furiously, crying out in frustration, “I’m- I’m _serious_ , okay?!” The smaller girl’s eyes widened and she turned to look at the taller inkling. She looked like she was near tears.

 

“I-I heard there was an octoling loose in the city.”

 

Kai felt her stomach drop.

 

“I just wanted to know that my friend was okay, is that too much to ask?”

 

Lily was suddenly wrapped up into a hug, and she was clearly startled by the way she stiffened up. “Thanks.” Kai buried her face in her chest, arms wrapped around her back and shoulders. “Thank you. Really.”

 

“But you don’t have to worry about me, aight?” she grinned, pulling back. “I can handle any octo-scum that gives me trouble!”

 

The taller one laughed shakily, clearly unsatisfied with her answer.

 

Both stared out at the sea once again, an uneasy silence settling in between them.

 

“Come downstairs with me?” the older quietly mumbled.

 

“‘Course.” She smirked slightly. “Still doesn’t change the fact that you were watching me get changed.”

 

Huffing, the older one folded her arms and glared at Kai, who stared back with an eyebrow raised, before melting into giggles, the pair started slowly making their way down through their laughter. They linked their arms together, the younger trying to lighten the mood and stop the older from crying any more, feeling a twinge of guilt for not telling her the truth.

 

As they ambled down the stairs, Sash looked at Lil in the eyes, the latter giving a slight nod before returning to their, obviously humorous conversation - judging from the way they spoke.

 

Luca groaned beside her, eying the pair with a fed-up look, muttering under his breath. “Squidbeak’s sake. I know you asked her to help, but honestly.”

 

Sasha knew of her sister’s unwillingness to admit any weakness to anyone. She also recognised the growing crush that Kai had aggressively denied and ignored.

 

Well, whatever made her happy, she guessed. And it never got in the way of work.

 

“How long ya think it’ll take for them to get together?” Sasha snorted. They’ve been like this for months.

 

“Definitely by the end of the next one.”

 

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that a bet?”

 

“750 G,” he replied.

 

“Two weeks,” she smirked, “and they’ll be crying when they do.”

 

He fixed her with an interested look. “I know my sister.”

 

Luca huffed a laugh. “Alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know youre scant for money when youre betting on your sisters love life
> 
> oh also i changed the summary because i hated the old one thanks


	4. Rain and Thunder/Take Me Under

The octoling hissed in an unthinkable pain, skin unused to the searing sensation of rain droplets. It reduced her to tears, and she curled up into a ball, shaking, trembling, _whimpering_ , wishing for it to end soon.

 

***

 

Somehow, she found herself on the same street yet again, hood drawn over her head, lurking in the rain. Not even grabbing anything to defend herself on the way as she snuck out her tiny window in the night. It was stormy, the thunder rolling in after pulses of lightning flashed bright whites to clash against dark, angry grey. Every so often, a droplet would land on her hand, her face, her neck, sizzling against her tan skin. The pain, sharp yet short-lived, was grounding. She shoved her hands in her tiny pockets.

 

She wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell Lil about the octoling, why she hid the reason behind the bruises. She didn’t want to worry her friend. Her closest, kindest, most caring friend. She had probably ended up worrying her more.

 

Drifting away into her thoughts, she gave out a shuddering exhale, eyes glistening.

 

Echoing softly in the night’s cooling air, the steady, lashing rain beat mercilessly against the trees, walls, buildings rooftops, the normally calming, atmospheric sounds of the storm suddenly much more threatening when she was caught in the midst of it all. Despite that, Kai found it somewhat soothing, though, as she shuddered out a cough, it was _really fucking cold_. She could die later though.

 

About to round the corner, the inkling stopped herself. What was she doing? Coddamn, self-destructive, impulsive, idiotic-

 

Kai took the step, fearing nothing but the worst with a smile. “Hey.”

 

***

 

Her breathing slowed while her mind raced, barely taking notice of the _thing_ towering above her, staring down at her. She didn’t care. It was probably that damn inkling, come to laugh and jeer at her, to splat her and send her back to Octo Canyon to be overworked, exhausted, used. Or maybe she was much too far from the spawn pads, and, with nowhere to respawn, she would be dead. The latter sounded more appealing.

 

Anything to get out of this _weather_.

 

There was nothing like this down in the caverns she called home, there was near-to-no reserves of water whatsoever. Nothing down there could compare to this, this, _tortuous_ ‘rain’,  And it wasn’t as if she was complaining about that lack of water, but as a child she was always interested in the surface: the colours, the culture, the towering cities she had heard so much about. Now, she declared that she hated everything about it.

 

The octoling finally glanced up, her suspicions correct. But instead of a smug, smarmy grin, there was concern and worry etched into its face. She didn’t have the energy to be surprised, to question it. She trembled, ducking her head back into her knees as she tried to cover as much skin as she could. That in itself was a struggle - the Octoling Corp’s uniform was nothing more than a thin cropped-top and low waisted shorts, a solid metal chestplate along with a pauldron on the left shoulder. Everything, except for the armour of course, was a deep black, which had no real purpose other than to look more intimidating - if they wanted to sneak around they’d just swim in their ink.

 

She was thankful for the mask obscuring her face, hiding the _weakness_ in her eyes, the erratic darting of her gaze.

 

Thudding softly yet ruthlessly, each droplet was like an erratic beat, drumming loudly against the hard concrete, amplified by the overwhelming amount of overloaded sensations that the octoling was experiencing.

 

She chanced another look, and saw the inkling stripping of its (her?) raincoat. It (she?) smiled sympathetically, holding the thin jacket out. She eyed it suspiciously. What if it was a trap, a trick, a-

 

A sudden surge of lightning struck the sky, lighting up the area. She grabbed desperately at the waterproof.

 

The inkling gave a warm look, eyes soft in understanding.

 

What was she understanding? She didn’t know anything about her. Nothing.

 

***

 

That undershirt idea seemed great, until she realised that she had to do the laundry. Honestly, who can be arsed to do the laundry? Laundry sucks. Although, she could’ve brought an extra waterproof too, if she had the hindsight to do so.

 

So now, after unceremoniously pulling her coat off, she was standing, topless, with only a sports bra and leggings on, in the rain, chills creeping up her spine, skin tensing with each cool raindrop weaving its way around her skin, and an octoling that once wanted her dead staring wide-eyed at her chest.

 

At the realisation, they snapped their gaze away, shuffling back awkwardly. Probably confused about the lack of clothing.

 

Rising to their feet, Kai finally got a good look at the octoling.

 

Three twisting tentacles, shorter at front and longer in the back, were drawn over the left side of their head, and the right was completely bare; _weren’t octolings supposed to have four tentacles?_ she wondered idly. The long, squirming tendrils curled and uncurled in a menacing fashion, writhing and thrashing in an unnerving manner, which would’ve been intimidating if not for the subtle tremors and gasps every time the rain splashed on the octoling’s body. Tears had streamed down their face, thin silvery trails that had escaped from under their mask and weaving itself into the numerous beads of rain on their puffy cheeks. Their growling, toothy scowl faltered with every thundering roar from the storm. Judging from the voice, and hair, and stance, they were most likely a girl.

 

The inkling produced a small plastic container from the pocket of the coat, gingerly reaching into it, and held it out to the octoling. It was a couple of fried fish, the soft white meat taken off the sharp bones, with a heaped portion of fluffy rice. She stared at her, before opening the lid ajar, her nose twitching as she sniffed at the opening in suspicion. The lack of poison only made the octoling feel more insecure, and she narrowed her eyes in further distrust.

 

“W-why are you doing this?” she whispered, her voice so much weaker, more weary than the other night. “How? what-“

 

Kai hummed, a touch too cheerful. “Dunno.”

 

“I tried to kill you.”

 

Thunder roared above; the octoling flinched violently.

 

She gave another glance down at the food container, eying it hungrily.

 

Both were silent for a short while as Kai watched the poor thing desperately scarf down the shoddy excuse for a meal with her hands, and her face suggested it was the best she’d had for a while, the small and shy grin deceiving her angry, antagonizing semblance. While she ate, the inkling noticed, as she decided to sit down against one of the damp brick walls, a larger smile forming on her own dark face, that with every strike of lightning, apart from the silent tremors from the octoling, that same, soft blue from the other night would pulse in the darkness, before fading off as quickly as it appeared, in time with the surge of light.

 

***

 

“You enjoy that?” she snickered, an amused smile forming on her complexion.

 

The octoling couldn’t help but stare incredulously at this seemingly happy-go-lucky inkling, being lashed and battered at with water, offering so much welcoming and kindness, being so _nice_. All after she had panicked over that same girl stumbling across her shoddy ‘hideout’ - barely a glorified crevice - and threatened to murder her before giving her a concussion, a wound that won’t heal for a long while, and tying her to a pole to stalk off and find some food before the sun fully rose.

 

Now she was stood right there, offering that with ease.

 

She wanted to be angry, to take advantage of the inkling’s naive hope, to stab her in the back.

 

“Th-thank you,” was all she could muster, heaving in exhaustion. Sliding against the rough walls she’d grown accustomed to, the black-inked girl sat across to the pink, looking her in the eye - but it wasn’t as if she could see where she was looking.

 

Glancing away, the other looked down at the ground, and almost regretful expression on her face, before pushing herself up with a soft huff. When the octoling shot her a confused look, eyebrows furrowing, even the trace of a pout forming on her face, she mumbled an apology, “I have to go.”

 

Of course - it’s not as if she wasn’t busy. Or half naked. She tried not to make her disappointment obvious - company was oddly nice, though maybe it was the food too. The rain seemed to be clearing, but it was still there. Somehow, the octoling was shivering less, and was almost unaffected by the quieting sounds of the storm. Then she rushed to undo the jacket, fingers fumbling with the zip, cursing under her breath as it caught on the translucent fabric.

 

“No. It’s fine, keep it.”

 

She looked up again.

 

The inkling had a toothy grin. “The name’s Kaira. But don’t call me that, aight? Prefer Kai.” After the octoling just stared at her, unresponsive, she sighed, and spun on her heel, and turned to walk away in resigned defeat.

 

Perhaps, as the rain pounded against harsh concrete, she thought that the octoling was still untrusting, or didn’t want her friendship. Maybe, while the lightning struck across the dreary grey, she was chiding herself for being so stupid. Or even, as thunder growled hungrily, echoing through the deserted square, she believed all this was one big mistake, that the tiny octoling would take advantage of her kindness, suddenly lash out and torture her, use her for resources.

 

It was barely audible above the crackling clouds, the dull thuds of droplets. You probably wouldn’t even notice it, unless you were paying full attention.

 

“I- uh, I’m Ilya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey a friendly reminder than if you're reading this instead of revision for your GCSEs, ***do that shit please***, exams are hell and im so glad i have two more years until i have to deal with them
> 
> this is where the story Begins, and we finally have a name for our little octoling friend! how cute.
> 
>  
> 
> also, check out my discord! its pretty gay https://discord.gg/sJM8dGX


	5. Need to Talk/Rooftop

Pulling on her bomber jacket, Sasha gave out a sigh, fishing about for her keys. “Seeya Kay!” she yelled as she yanked the door open, hissing as it slammed against the dented wall in a louder-than-necessary crash. Shit, no wonder it was barely functional. After a mumbled reply from one of the bedrooms, she smiled and pulled the door shut with a spin for extra flair. The lock barely worked, and it was nearly off its hinges, but what’s the point in fixing something that still works? Kinda.

 

Still a dull greyish, the skies were riddled with clouds, and the air was stiff with a chill. It had been pretty miserable since their last shift, and oh, what a great time it was to have a week off work. Having rained a couple times, the grass was damp and squelchy, pavements and roads gathering water within dips and potholes, shallow puddles reflecting the towering skyscrapers as she walked past absentmindedly. Sasha quietly whistled a tune, ambling through the dark and daunting city with a smile playing on her face.

 

When she arrived at the packed square, she found an absent minded Lil staring off into the greyish skies, riddled with clouds. One hand was propping up her head, playing with the straps of her dark Annaki mask, the fingers of the other drumming softly against steel, along to a silent rhythm playing faintly from the studio headphones around her ears.

 

“Lil! Rawr!” Sasha exclaimed as she suddenly thrust her hands down heavily onto the taller’s shoulders, being met with a loud and shocked shriek as the girl shot up in her chair with a start, caught completely off-guard. She clattered back down into her seat, shaking.

 

Lil cried out defiantly, grasping at her pounding chest. “Saash!” she whined, dragging out the ‘a’. “You suck!”

 

“Bet ya’d love it if I did,” she snarked back, settling into a chair and setting her feet on the table.

 

“Hmph.” The taller girl pouted, crossing her arms on the table and burying her face in them. “I’m too tired for this.”

 

Leaning back, the older yawned, “aren’t you always tired? Yaknow, maybe you should sleep more.”

 

Sighing in agreement, Lily threw her arms out, stretching. “Kai still have a cold? It’s been a few days now...” Her eyebrows furrowed as Sasha nodded.

 

“How long did you two even stay out for? Swear it wasn’t even raining that much,” the sister asked, adjusting her shades.

 

The taller girl glanced away sheepishly. “Sorry,” she mumbled under her breath. “I should’ve brought her up sooner.”

 

She shrugged dismissively. “Not ya fault.”

 

Both settled in an uneasy silence, Lil quietly shrunk back, her head finding its way hidden into her arms once again, shoulders hunched forward. She shuffled quietly in her seat, sniffing. Sash frowned, setting her feet on the ground. Leant forward and pressed a hand to her head.

 

“Lily?”

 

Reluctantly, the tall girl looked up, pouting. “She- she didn’t even care.” Shuddered out a shaky breath. “I asked about her bruises, and she just, _laughed_ , made jokes.”

 

Sasha felt her smile drop. “I’m sorry if ya felt like I forced ya.”

 

“I- I just think she’d be more likely to talk to you, y’know?”  She looked away. “She doesn’t care about me at all.”

 

There was a heavy silence hanging in the air. The taller inkling shifted quietly in her chair uncomfortably, bearing a hole into the table with her gaze. With each sniffle, her eyes darted a different direction, covered by her fringe, and her tentacles hung defeated from her head. Sasha felt her heart throb - fuck was she going to yell at her sister later.

 

Lily looked up again. “Do you think she cares about me?”

 

Her voice was warm. She stood up to wrap her arms around her neck, elbows rested on her shoulders. Head propped up on the taller one’s own, she assured, “more than you could imagine.”

 

She pulled back, leaning into the hug. “I doubt it.” Giving a weak smile, Lil dragged her hand across her face, rubbing her eyes. Nuzzling the back of her head against the older’s shoulders, she giggled lightly. “I’m being so stupid about this, aren’t I.”

 

“A lil bit,” Sasha admitted, and she smirked slightly. “Yaknow, you ‘n Kai should go out some time.” She revelled in the choked splutter from the taller girl, caught completely off guard.

 

“W-what?”

 

“She needs to get outside more, but I know she doesn’t really like bein’ by herself.”

 

Nose twitching slightly, exhaling a breath, Lil nodded. “Yeah, course you meant that,” she mumbled softly.

 

Sash hummed slightly, shifting so her arms were no longer wrapped around her friend. “Ya wanna grab some food? My treat.”

 

That got the girl grinning.

 

* * *

 

 

Kai was alone.

 

As she sat up, she sniffled slightly, rubbing at her nose and staring at the ceiling. Even though she had just slept for at _least_ ten hours, she felt groggy, and tired, and hollow. It had been a while since she had been alone; she never really became ill or sick.

 

Nearly a year had passed since Kai turned of age for when she was legal to work, and though Sasha had introduced her to the crew long before then, she didn’t really know any of them well before they worked together - hell, Luca had only joined a couple weeks before her, which was pretty much nothing. She smiled at the floor, sitting on the edge of the mattress and kicking her legs every so often, hands gripping at the bed on either side of her.

 

There was Luca, of course, the gruff, and aloof guy who always wore skull bandanas and dark clothing and tied his tentacles back away from his face, broadening his already-broad-enough shoulders while refusing to show even a semblance of positivity or happiness. The way he talked was rough and usually tactless or careless, as if he didn’t care about anyone or anything. He would always be there to protect the other three, and maybe you could even catch a genuine grin when his mask slipped or ruffled in the wind.

 

And then, Lily. Her stupid, useless, relentlessly gay crush that had been bothering her for more than a year. She shuddered out a cough, smile wavering as she found her thoughts racing, conflicted over every interaction with the skinny, pale, awkward, lanky, optimistic, caring, _so-fucking-cute-_

 

Kai dragged her fingers through her tentacles and got up with a huff.

 

The girl opened her window again, jumping onto the windowsill and slipping out of the narrow opening, landing with a thud onto the metal staircase. The air was stiff and chilling; she hacked out a cough. It clambered and clunked with every step, more heavier than normal when she wasn’t ill. As she reached the top of the apartment complex, she gingerly got up onto the thin railings, balanced precariously about seven stories up, bracing her arms against the short wall that encircled the roof, grunting in effort as she pushed herself up onto the rooftops.

 

There was roof access from within the building, but that wouldn’t be any fun, would it?

 

It was normally quiet, peaceful up there. Somewhere to be, to stare and look out at the crowds when there was nothing else to do, no one else to talk to.

 

Normally.

 

* * *

 

 

She had already sprung into a combat stance as soon as heard clumsy footsteps echo against heavy steel. The sound rang in her ears, the same, hollow, empty tone she was used to hearing in the barracks. A pair of dark hands, gripped over the edge of the wall and she watched with wide eyes, dropping her centre of gravity and raising a fist, the other arm dropped near her right boot, tensed as if it were grasping. Her shoulders were raised, and she bore her teeth.

 

Awkwardly, the inkling clambered up, obviously tired from scaling the building.

 

The octoling stared at her (it?). She (it.) sat atop the ledge of the roof, sniffling slightly with her ( _its._ ) eyes half-lidded. They snapped open upon noticing her, jolting back and nearly toppled off the building; it took a deep breath before getting on its feet. It seemed unsteady. She took a step forward.

 

“Ilya.”

 

Fuck.

 

Growling, the octo-girl clenched her fists, advancing on the weak inkling. “What do you want.”

 

She wasn’t in a state to fight. She was exhausted, hungry, and these rooftops were one of the safe havens in this cod-forsaken city, away from the prying gaze of inkling crowd during the day. She just wanted to be alone.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Ilya snarled. Clutched at the thin, translucent waterproof draped over her shoulders. “What do you care?”

 

It just responded with a smile. “You know, you weren’t as hostile a few nights ago.”

 

“That does not mean anything. I can kill you right now,” she hissed, grabbing at her boot. “Watch me.” The octoling was stood less than a metre away, face leering down over the inkling, contempt dripping from her fangs. “ _Watch me._ ”

 

Nonchalant, the inkling sat up slightly and tapped a finger onto the cool metal goggles, at the bridge of her nose between her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without this on.” The octoling recoiled with a snarl, taking a step back.

 

“Good.” It looked up at her, staring into her eyes - or the thin slits in her mask. Straightening her back, she took another step backwards, bringing her arm away from her leg. “I will keep it that way.”

 

The inkling looked unfocused, Ilya noticed. It had a thick, baggy hoodie on, much like the one when they first… encountered one another, and was fumbling with the cuffs, hiding its hands inside the loose-fitting sleeves. There was something hanging out of the jumper’s pocket, thin and rectangular, though too wide to fit naturally within. It was stiff, barely moving save from the awkward fidgeting of its hands and the shallow, the uneven breaths it took every so often, its shoulders rising and falling with each inhale and exhale.

 

She was still shaken, even though she _knew_ that the inkling resided in this building. Just thought that, like most of the idiotic squids that lived in this filthy city, it wouldn’t visit the roof, having obviously better things to do. Things like sufficient energy, moping about and wasting precious currency over such trivial items, crudely imitate the great wars that decided the fate of inklings and octarians for centuries as mindless entertainment. At the thought, she scowled. Inklings were disgusting.

 

Was she jealous? Angry? Longing?

 

(What did those even mean?)

 

“State your business here,” she spat, malicious intent oozing from her tone.

 

It looked at her, amused. “I could ask the same to you. An octoling in the city? The news would have a field day.”

 

(It had conveniently left out the fact that an octoling was _part_ of the news team, she would later learn.)

 

With all the odds stacked against her, Ilya was losing an uphill battle, stubbornly insisting and arguing despite it all. The inkling noticed it, grinning widely, and she wanted nothing more than to smash that stupid face into the cool stone slabs below. But she wouldn’t break. So she stared back in an angry huff.

 

Glancing back at the pocket, she wondered if it had more food.

 

“Oh,” the inkling mumbled, fishing out a thick, thread bound notebook from her jumper, followed by a thin, sharp-pointed stick, fashioned out of bamboo, shaped almost like a spear. It brandished the object easily, and she stiffened noticeably. “I was gonna write some up here, but you’re here too.”

 

As it flicked through the thin pages, it spun the bamboo between its fingers, balanced on the flat of its thumb. Almost subconsciously, effortlessly. Ilya stared at it intently; it must be a weapon. She found herself reaching at her own without even thinking. This was a mistake - she should have killed it that first night.

 

It looked up at the bristling octoling. “Ah, wait!” The inkling held it up, waving its other hand about near-frantically, taking the object and holding it to the tip of its tentacle, loading it with hot pink ink. “It’s just a pen,” it muttered, sketching over a clean page, drawing a small smiley face in the centre of the paper. It stared down at the notebook thoughtfully. After a few seconds, the inkling tore out the first few notes, stuffing them in its pocket, and held out the pen and book over to the octoling. “Here. You can have it.”

 

“What?” Looking more bewildered now than threatened, Ilya narrowed her eyes, hesitantly grazing her fingers over the book’s cardstock cover. “I don’t need anything from you.” She took the notebook, scrutinising it for any threats, followed by the dip pen.

 

Ilya didn’t know whether to be irritated, thankful, frustrated, or trusting. This inkling had to have a hidden gain, and ulterior motive, to be so giving to her. She couldn’t bring herself to ignore it, and she hated everything about it. She hated not knowing why.

 

Staring at the empty book, the inkling sighed in defeat, faked a smile, her voice the same, empty tone as that night in the rain. “I’ll be going again, then.” It swung itself around and hopped heavily back onto the fire escape stairwell with a hoarse cough.

 

“Thank you, Kaira,” she mumbled quietly.

 

But she was gone as quickly as she came.

 

(It? She?)

 

(Did it matter?)

 

The octoling let out her own, shuddered exhale, collapsing against the rooftop wall. She felt like crying again. She hated this.

  
Pushing herself up, she found one of the torn-out pages of the notebook, _it must have escaped the inkling’s pockets_ , under the heel of her hand, slightly stained with the remnants of rain that had collected on concrete, and picked it up, staring at it intently. Narrowed her eyes. She slipped it back into the notebook.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what? i didn't spend almost an hour trying to figure out how to embed an image onto here pffffffffffft.  
> (if you want more of my crappy art then give me some sweet validation in the comments k thank babe)
> 
> alt title: ilya doesn't know what a pen is and has an anxiety attack
> 
> so im not sure how much i'll be able to post next two weeks, im probably gonna revise for my end of year assessments that pretty much dictate what sets im in for the rest of my gcse course, and i need to get into separates lest my mother murder me, but i got some fun plans for the next few chapters that are definitely worth the wait :)c


	6. Cut Back/On Track

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope it was worth the wait

The commander brushed her writhing tentacles out from her face in exasperation, gripping and pulling with a growl.

 

It had been over twelve nightfalls since her highest ranking soldier had suddenly vanished, and her replacement was only to arrive late that day, without even a commissioned grade. Her squadron’s moral had fallen abysmally after continual loss of battles and zapfish, and the higher-ups seemed to be considering her demotion.

 

She cracked her knuckles.

 

Letting out a defeated sigh, she slumped tiredly onto her desk, tapping her fingers irritably against the cold surface, head resting against her arm. How long had it been since she’d slept?

 

No matter. Pushing herself up against the sturdy table, she started pacing across the room, following the curve of the circular room in quick steps. Her squadron was due to guard the zapfish later, their shift starting at 0700 the next day. Five hours of general training with the rookie and squadron, getting to know them, adapting to their combat style, developing teamwork. She turned on her heel, seamlessly changing direction. Another three spent with more specialised training: perhaps some close-combat disarmament and takedowns. As she brought her hand up to her head in thought, she barely heard the knuckles rap curtly against the door.

 

“Yes, come in.”

 

As it creaked open, the commander whirled around, adjusting her mask to glare at her new troop.

 

* * *

 

“Ah, sergeant Seola. Welcome.”

 

Seola had mixed feelings joining this squadron. Just after having received a promotion, she was to be shipped off to another part of the Corp and expected to prepare for her first shift in less than a day with completely unfamiliar peers. She had heard rumours about this specific team, the unbelievable tales of a defective soldier and an even less believable reason _for_ said defection. Nothing about it sat well at all in her stomach, but what choice did she have?

 

Saluting, she greeted, “Major Keiko. What are your orders?”

 

Her new commander stared down at her, assessing every part of her, those long, winding, black tentacles, dipped a deep scarlet, furling and twisting as she scrutinised her new recruit. Despite her young age and experience, there was no doubt as to why she was highly ranked - her tall, muscular build paired with her naturally imposing aura left even the sergeant herself feeling uneasy and on edge, though she kept her facade neutral, even confident, almost challenging the commander to find a flaw in her physique. Self assurance was always key during one of these first impressions.

 

After what felt like years, Keiko gave a curt nod to her new sergeant, and Seola felt herself relax, just slightly. She walked over to her desk, in the centre of the tall room, gestured to the comfortable-looking chair opposite her own. “Have a seat, sergeant.”

 

Seola gingerly sat down on the plush seat, straightening her back and mask, her thick, rosy tendrils swaying in slight discomfort, nerves finally starting to creep in. The commander chuckled warmly, the low tone echoing off the cold, hard walls. “At ease soldier. Tell me something about yourself.” She leant forward on her elbows, cracking her knuckles loudly.

 

Lifting an eyebrow slightly, the sergeant shifted in her seat. “I use rollers, mainly,” she stated, “although I can use any weapon decently.”

 

“A roller, hm?” the commander wondered. “That would be useful with our current composition.” She eyed the girl. “With your build, I would have assumed you wielded a brush, or dualies.”

 

”Hm?” That sounded like a challenge. “Don’t underestimate my strength, maam.”

 

They locked eyes, the sergeant with a smirk and the major with her eyebrows raised, slightly intrigued.

 

The commander broke the silence. “That could be useful in the field,” she mused quietly. “I like you, kid.”

 

* * *

 

They had been training for quite a while now.

 

Sergeant Seola sprinted through the thin and slippy ‘inkling’ ink, painting the ground in front of her, tentacles streaming behind her. As a target popped up to her side, she slipped into the deep pink ink and slammed her weapon into its back, rolling a curling bomb over to where another had sprung from its ink. Chancing a grin, the girl moved easily, flicking a long vertical stripe to speed through and take out two more targets.

 

Tossing out another curling bomb, she didn’t bother to cook it this time as she swam behind its trail, leaping out of her ink with a jump. She went to work, covering every sickly green surface with her own pink. Her ears perked when she heard shooting, and she smirked from ear to ear.

 

A shout rang out from the opposite corner of the grounds, and Seola slipped into her octopus form, superjumping over to the source. As she hauled her weapon to her feet to smatter her opponent in front of her, she gave a shocked yelp when she was covered with ink from behind, sending her back to the spawn pad. _What?_

 

Her answer was a smug look from a tall, muscular octoling spinning her guns by the trigger guard, kelp tucked neatly behind her ears. A nudge to her side knocked her out of her surprise. “Don’t mind her, she likes pickin’ on the fresh meat.” Seola spared a glance at the voice, the same one who called her for help. He lifted his shot to his chest, grinned at her. “Name’s Levy,” stated the boy. “Private. You think we can pair up?”

 

Giving a slight nod, she muttered, “Swim behind me.”

 

He cocked his head, but gave his affirmative. She set down her roller.

 

The two sped across the map, the roller keeping her arms steady and dipping into her ink to refill every few minutes, the octoshot trailing behind silently, almost indistinguishable, hidden in her ink.. Any splashes or ripples he caused were easily explained by the spray of the roller or the kicks of her feet. She faked a slight grimace, the corners of her lips pulling down when her commander neared her view, who seemed to catch her reaction and let out an amused huff. Score.

 

The dualie-wielding major dropped down to face the sergeant, cockily pointing a single gun at her. Suddenly swerving out of the way, the shot behind her prepared to spring up from the ink; the commander paused for a split second, phased by the sudden movement. Then her aim snapped to the trail, and she rolled back, splattering the confused private with her green ink, who had barely even jumped out, let alone open fire. She chuckled loudly.

 

Her gaze settled on the floored new recruit who let her roller hang loosely from her grip, and she smiled, almost sweetly, though an unmissable hint of amused malice snuck into her honeyed voice. “Don’t underestimate my strength, _ma’am_.”

 

The sergeant found herself at the spawn pads once again.

 

There wasn’t a shred of doubt in the world as to why Major Keiko was where she was.

 

* * *

 

Rolling her shoulders with a satisfying ‘pop’, the girl tipped her head back in a sigh. Her weapon wasn’t the most ergonomic choice, not by far, and training for so long had taken a toll on her back, to say the least. With the adrenaline in her body slowly dissipating, the girl felt exhausted, and couldn’t wait to collapse on her new bunk. Cod, that new, sanitised, scratchy, uncomfortable new bunk smell. She couldn’t wait.

 

As she strutted over to the mess hall, Seola swept her gaze across the crowds of octolings, suddenly realising her solitude. It didn’t seem as if any of her old acquaintances were present, and the girl hadn’t had much time to socialise between sessions. Deciding it was best to just retire to her new dorm, even if she didn’t know the way there, she quietly turned around to sneak off to bed, when she was stopped by a warm shout. “Hey, Seola!”

 

When she turned once again, she found Levy grinning and waving her over. The sergeant flicked her eyes to the corridor and back at them, her shoulders sagging in tiredness as she knew it’d be best to meet some more people, despite her lack of willpower to do so.

 

He grinned. “Nice of you to join us,” the boy snarked as she settled down, leaning back on the bench and nodding towards the other two octolings around him.

 

“This is Zeno,” he introduced, glancing towards his very tall, and well built friend beside him. His tentacles were slicked back in a quiff, in a way that it almost defied gravity. It was impressive really. In spite of his size and demure, the kid seemed quite nice as he grinned flashily and saluted in a joking manner. “Uses a blaster, he’s scary good with it.”

 

Then he gestured over to a smaller, yet just as confident girl, who had a smirk playing on her lips, her eyes half lidded. “And Elora,” Levy added, as she held up her hand and waved her fingers slightly. Cut short and sensible, the girl’s tentacles hung loosely and swayed from side to side, curled slightly at the tips. Judging from the same dark skin tone, and eye colour and shape, the two seemed to be siblings. “She’s handy with a slosher, gets you from outta nowhere.”

 

Smiling at the both of them, she tipped her head back slightly. “Name’s Seola, Sergeant. Main a roller.”

 

Elora hummed slightly, and cracked her neck. “Nice to know who’s finally gonna replace that Ilya.” She laughed to herself slightly. “Guess you’re our new squad leader, right?”

 

“I believe so,” she stated. “Commander Keiko hasn’t informed me who i would be in command of, though.”

 

“Probably because Maj’s not over it yet,” Zeno chimed in. “Weird how close they are, right?”

 

Levy’s eyes shot open. “You think it was her? Maj? No way,” he snorted.

 

“Makes sense,” he snickered back, cocking his head.

 

The girl rolled her eyes, huffing to the confused-looking one beside her. “Ignore those two. You wanna head up to the dorms?”

 

Seola nodded in silent relief. “Ah, please.”

 

As the two walked away to the bunks, the sergeant narrowed her eyes slightly; perhaps the rumours weren’t as baseless as she first thought.

 

* * *

 

Her squad moved around her, easily as water washing over ink. She, at the head, two either side, one taking the tail. They took their positions encircling the mini zapfish, with the blaster on higher ground, the other two hidden in their ink down below. The sergeant scanned over the area, her roller hefted over a shoulder.

 

It was all quiet. Their location seemed to be some sort of track, with stark white lines tracing lanes through the curves and straights that wrapped around the outer edges of the area. Nearer to their own spawn pad, her team patrolled one of the zapfish that stood on the track and tucked beside a makeshift fort of boxes and wood. Large glass vials were hoisted on thin metal clamps to be set off when the inkling approached. Though most of the other squads were obscured by walls and varying levels, she could see the Commander stalking around the shield, right in the centre of the arena, her new second-in-command mirroring her moves. The faint yellow glow reflected off their dark, sleek tendrils, the more senior ranked curling her scarlet red tips.

 

With the telling ring of a hissing kettle, and the distorted, fluid noises emitted from the pad, all silence was broken.

 

They stayed low; the squid started to ink its surroundings. The soft, yet numerous, thuds of ink droplets echoed through the stagnant air, covering their dark purple ink with its own sickly seafoam. The sergeant watched in fascination, having never been assigned to a patrol mission before, or seen a real inkling so up close. Its pointed ears were hidden behind a glowing black headset, the teal and white lights blinking cheerfully in waves. Inklings didn’t seem to have much care for subtlety - the hoodie it wore was a reflective, fluorescent yellow, boots adorned with a neon orange.

 

_There’s only one of them? How has this unit failed to protect the zapfish?_ She was bewildered.

 

The inkling dashed through the track, throwing a splat bomb near the glowing, electrified shield, whittling down the poison mist bottle, which was quickly taken out by a couple potshots. All of the octolings surrounding it scattered, a couple tossing out their own bombs in a frenzy, before bursting into its pale teal ink, disappearing off back into the canyon. With each one down, the comm unit strapped to her hip flashed with automated distress signals and notifications, completely unnecessary: the the sergeant had a front seat view of the carnage. One had managed to escape - a blaster - by throwing herself off the edge, but the agent made quick work of her, and splatted her immediately.

 

One-by-one, the inkling swiftly made its way through all the mini zapfish, each squad being taken out swiftly and easily. It had wrapped around the edge, seeming to leave the central zapfish for last. It paused for a moment, holding the Hero Shot up and standing tall, raising its chin up slightly and looking down on the battlefield with a smirk, long and wavy tentacles flowing quietly as a gust picked up. Its eyes narrowed, in cockiness, scanning the track with raised eyebrows, before dropping back into a crouch, inking over what little purple was left.

 

The sergeant scowled, and as soon as the squid came near, diving off of its perch with its gun raised, she sprung out from her ink and slammed the end of her roller into the side of its face with a growl. It was taken completely by surprise, cheeks stained with her bright magenta, and, as it respawned on its own pad, she hoped it would leave a mark.

 

When she returned back to her station, her squad was staring at her as if she was amazing. She was just doing her damn job.

 

* * *

  

Keiko sat alone after her first successful mission in weeks. Her squadron was already at a decline building up to her lieutenant’s… defection, and ever since, she had been scrutinised, kept under a close watch. As if they didn’t trust her to look after herself, that she’d just let another one run off. That made her snort, tentacles tensing up in agitation, the deep crimson-pink tips rising and pulsing, curling and tensing as she fumed silently. They thought she needed a little babysitter, did they? They thought she couldn’t take down a puny little squid? She slammed a fist onto the table. Snarled, bearing her pointed fangs.

 

She could crush them with her bare hands. She would.

 

Sighing out a deep, loud breath, the commander forced herself to calm down. There was no advantage to throwing a petty tantrum - she was better than that. Uncoordinated anger like that could cost her her life on the battlefield.

 

She sighed again. _Where could she have gone?_

 

Living underground was pitiful. Anyone would agree - inkling and octarian alike. It was dark, damp, dingy, and if it wasn’t, it would always be because of some bright, fluorescent light that would burn through your eyes. Even if it was spacious, theoretically limitlessly expandable, there would be nothing but a dark expanse, waiting to be refurbished into some equally dark training grounds, market allotment, ‘leisure’ area. There was no water, what seemed like a blessing, but the caverns were unbearably hot and stuffy, full of old, recycled air. It was miserable.

 

Her quarters were small and insignificant, her electricity shoddy at best with how far away she was from her closest zapfish. They were cramped, set out in a single room with barely any space to breathe. The scratchy little cot was set to one corner, opposite a small countertop and ‘kitchenette’, and a sturdy metal desk was pushed up against another wall. Despite this, Keiko found herself pacing quickly and silently in the little floorspace she had left, footsteps quick and quiet, light on her feet just as on the battlefield.

 

Maybe it would be best if she rested.

 

It was dark, of course it was. And despite everything, she fell asleep easily, too exhausted to fight off her sleepiness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy has it been a while, im so sorry guys, so much has happened since the last time i posted !! heres a quick rundown:  
> -autobomb launcher was a mistake  
> -my tests were alright, somehow i did well on them  
> -nintendo e3 was a fucking disappointment at best  
> -octO EXPANSION COMES OUT TOMORROW?
> 
> i was gonna make a joke about how i'd have to tag this as canon-divergent when the dlc came out so i guess i have to skive school tomorrow and find it if it is


	7. Brush Off/Cut Off

**≪** **Lil≫** **19:13**

Hhhhhh

 

**saaaaash 19:18**

what now babe

 

 **≪** **Lil≫** **19:18**

She’s so cute,,,,,

><

 

**saaaaash 19:18**

you gay fuck

just talk to her

 

 **≪** **Lil≫** **19:18**

But i dont know if she likes me back TT

She probably doesn’t

I wish

 

**saaaaash 19:21**

kais not got any better tbf

 

 **≪** **Lil≫** **19:21**

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

whO TOLD YOU

IM SO SORRY

 

**saaaaash 19:21**

..............

 

 **≪** **Lil≫** **19:22**

Sashhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

**saaaaash 19:25**

literally anyone with four brain cells could guess

you were literally _gawking_ at her getting changed

your so gay

 

 **≪** **Lil≫ 19:26**

*you’re

anD I WAS WORRIED ABOUT HER OKAY

 

**saaaaash 19:26**

mmhm.

worried about someone else getting their hands on her

 

 **≪** **Lil≫** **19:26**

I WAS, OKA- **_SASHA WHAT THE FUCK SHES YOUR SISTER_ **

 

**saaaaash 19:26**

THATS WHY IM TELLING YOU TO ASK HER OUT

also i told her that you wanted to meet up w/ her tomorrow

 

 **≪** **Lil≫ 19:26**

But she doesn-

SASHA

SASH PLEASE

 

**saaaaash 19:33**

WHAT

2 sound good for ya?

 

 **≪** **Lil≫ 19:33**

ID RATHER SPLAT MYSELF

SAAAAAAASHHHHHHHH

 

**saaaaash 19:33**

U COWARD

ARE YOU A BOTTOM OR WHAT

 

 **≪** **Lil≫ 19:34**

ILL JUST LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT I CANT DO THIS

SO WHAT IF I AM?????

 

**saaaaash 19:34**

...........im not surprised..........

 

 **≪** **Lil≫ 19:34**

honestly,,,, shut up

 

**saaaaash 19:34**

**it’s true, you submissive fucker.**

anyway ha i bet kaid love to hear this

 

 **≪** **Lil≫ 19:34**

This is bullying and i c

**_SASHA NO_ **

 

**saaaaash 19:56**

**sasha yes**

 

***

 

After pulling at her mask for the millionth time, Lily fumbled about desperately, fixing her gaze out of the window in an attempt to still herself. She focused on the trees waving as they sped past, on the quiet rocking of speed bumps and potholes that kept the bus shaking. The movement only worsened her nerves, and she felt like she was going to choke.

 

 _What’s the big deal? You’re just going out as friends! You’ve done this before, right?_ But she had Sasha and Luca to bounce off when she was around the younger girl. They’re never really been alone _together_ , just the two of them.

 

When she got off at her stop, she held her breath, sighing out deeply before inhaling. She thought it was dumb when people told her to take long, deep breaths while she was anxious - it normally made her feel worse.

 

The short walk to the big square was much calmer as she decided to turn her headphones up and let herself get lost in the music. Glancing down, the tall girl hid her hands in her sleeves, pulling them down to her knuckles and letting her thumb play at the hems. She was glad she wore something more comfortable that day, a couple layered shirts and leggings with her Krak-On hi-tops. It wasn’t her usual style, but it made her feel a bit more at ease than her minimalist look. Her normal clothing made her feel as if she drew attention to herself, slightly ironic considering all things. Her mask didn’t fit the outfit too well, she thought absentmindedly as she fiddled with the straps, but she wore it nonetheless.

 

She noticed the other girl stumbling about distractedly to the side of she clothing store, seeming to curl up into herself, shoulders hunched forward. Lily frowned.

 

“Hey there!” she grinned, maybe a bit too enthusiastically as she threw an arm out in front of her. The other girl’s head shot up from glaring at the floor and her eyes widened, freezing up even more than before. Frantically, Lil asked, “Uh, you alright?” and resisted the urge to wave her hands about her face. She could have slapped herself at her excitement. _Oh cod, this was gonna be a long day._

 

Kai just huffed and crossed her arms. “Yeh, I’m aight,” she smiled, gripping at her elbows slightly. “So uh, what did you wanna do?”

 

She didn’t have an idea. At all. This whole “meeting up” thing was just sprung onto her by Sasha, and despite her complaints, the useless girl had begrudgingly agreed. She should’ve stood her ground more, let herself prepare. Now here she was. This was a mess, their first date, completely overrun by her awkward and ill-thought-out plans.

 

_Wait, date? Did this count as a date?!_

 

Desperately scrambling for ideas, Lily tried to keep her calm facade. “Thought we could drop by the canal,” she suggested, her twitching ears an obvious disturbance in her confident stature. It didn’t seem like the worst on-the-spot idea: the weather was awfully nice and sunny out, and it would be nice to catch some fresh riverside air. It wasn’t _too_ far from the square either. “Maybe grab some food first too, then we can eat it there.”

 

If the shorter girl had noticed her worry, she didn’t comment or let it show. Or maybe she did; Lily was too preoccupied at staring at her shoulder, refusing to meet her eyes. “Sounds fun enough,” she smiled up at Lil in a nonchalant tone.

 

Despite Lily’s insistence, Kai refused to go to Crusty Sean’s, not wanting to waste any more of her friend’s food tickets (“I swear to cod, where do you keep getting these from?”), and decided to stop by some generic fast-food chain instead. Stumbling through their order, there was some fun point where Kai had said “eat out” instead of “take out”, and Lily disguised her own conflicted embarrassment by laughing as she watched the girl blush incessantly, trying her best to shrink into the floor. It was impressive that the squid taking their order barely blinked at their flustered mumbling. Both of them laughed it off as soon as they got out of the store, the taller one giggling as the younger one covered her mouth, stifling a chuckle as she acted offended at her friend. They did end up back at the food truck, only to grab some drinks as the tickets for which were much easier to stumble across.

 

The walk over there wasn’t exactly short, but it was scenic, and a lot less expensive than public transport. They talked the whole way there about nothing in particular, like the new Off The Hook single, or where exactly Callie could’ve disappeared off to (“But I know you liked Marie the most,” Kai teased as Lily huffed, thankful for the mask covering her flush), or the latest Salmon Run schedules posted in Grizzco.

 

Lily found that she loved listening to the girl talk, getting lost in her voice as she happily chatted. The younger girl barely came up to her sternum - oh cod the height discrepancy was adorably large: she was so small and cute and delicate! Her words just washed over the taller girl who was gazing down at her friend, her fist clenching around the thin handles of their paper bags. With her free hand, she decided, completely on impulse, to link their arms together, joint at the elbows, with their fingers entwined. She couldn’t miss the subtle twitching of Kai’s button nose, immediately halting her words. Cod was she glad for the thin fabric shielding her dark blue blush.

 

When they finally arrived, the sun was high in the air, beginning its descent. Perhaps the walk had taken much longer than either expected, though it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The bright white shimmering light swirling across the water’s surface, each disturbance causing ripples to form in the thin liquid. They hadn’t talked much ever since they started holding hands, but the smaller girl grumbled out, “Thank fuck we’re here, I’m so hungry,” as they settled. Lil just giggled, setting out the food on a raised platform overlooking the canal, hefting herself up onto the clean white-grey stone.

 

Kai grinned, grabbing at the box of nuggets. Through bites, she grinned, “Weather’s pretty good today, innit?” As mature as she spoke and acted, she was extremely childish and carefree, despite how much she insisted otherwise.

 

“Hmm? Yeah, it really is,” Lily mumbled idly, nibbling on a couple fries. “Perfect for today.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the younger girl questioned, cocking her head and pausing her eating for a second. “You got anything special going on later?”

 

Laughing shyly, she replied with, “I’d say I have something special going on right now.”

 

Quickly casting her gaze away, Kai took another bite of her food. Lil was suddenly terrified: what if her advances were too obvious? Did she not like her back? Did she mistake her wishful thinking for the signs of an introverted crush? She quickly glanced away too, feeling sick and guilty, and suddenly full.

 

After the two had finished eating, the smaller girl stuffed their rubbish into the bag, laying it aside. Lily just leaned against the wall opposite the side facing the water, loosely crossing her legs as she rested against the small of her back. Closing her eyes in defeat, she suddenly wrenched them open when she felt a head nuzzle into her lap, breath hitching slightly as she watched her friend curl up beside her. A light hand traced intricate patterns over her knee and shin, the skin underneath flaring up with unimaginable heat.

 

“I like talkin’ to you, y’know?” Kai thought aloud, voice soft yet steady. “You’re so kind.”

 

She tried to regain her breathing. “How so?” she mumbled, idly running her hands through the other girl’s tentacles. Kai seemed to shiver at her touch, nestling her head further into her friend’s legs, and Lily had to try her best not to melt right there and then. When no reply came, she whispered, “You’re so nice to talk to too.”

 

“I-I don’t know,” the girl mumbled, voice barely audible over the subtle currents in the river. “You just make me feel safe, and happy, and cared about.” Her breath shallowed, and she sniffled slightly, a conflicted look clouding her expression. “Hey Lil?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Opening her mouth, the smaller girl furrowed her eyebrows, quickly snapping it shut. “I- th-thanks for this.” She began to push herself up, much to the taller one’s dismay. Sniffling again, Kai shuffled to her friend’s side laying her head on the other’s shoulders. Hesitating only for a moment, the girl quickly linked their hands together, squeezing the pale one gently. “It was nice.”

 

Lil felt her heart jump to her throat, so unused to her cautious and aloof friend being so affectionate and touchy-feely. The girl hadn’t even considered her to be capable of being so sweet, and she indulged in the idea that this was only for her, that no one else would see this side of her. It was quickly stifled by her common sense, silently ashamed of how possessive that sounded, and she slumped her shoulders slightly. Staring off into the red-shifting sky, both of them just enjoyed the sunset, a melancholic tension rising. Lily couldn’t miss the glances towards her lower face, the flustered and unsure attempts to edge closer. As much as she hoped, she knew she was just imagining it, knowing her friend would be just that - a friend.

 

It was only when the younger girl lifted her other hand, tracing the line of Lily’s jaw, ruffling that thin veil of fabric and tugging at the straps, colour blooming in both of their faces, did she suddenly jump back, startling her and causing her head to fall off of its rest. Grasping at the mask, she winced, hooking it back over her ears, completely overwhelmed with underprepared fear. Her breathing was shallow and uneven, and she couldn’t muster enough strength to calm herself down.

 

The hurt that flashed across Kai’s eyes stung, a lot.

 

Unlike the walk there, the silence during the walk back was painful, the air palpable. Lil felt like she was choking, and the other girl grew more distant again, walking a little further behind. When she offered to walk her back to her apartment, Kai declined flatly, mumbling a monotone goodbye as the two parted.

 

* * *

 

 

Storming up the stairs to her front door, Kai wanted to scream. She couldn’t even make it past the living room, collapsing onto the sofa and breaking into sobs. She’d read the signs wrong, she’d read the advances wrong. She’d fucked up. She’d fucked up, she’d fucked up, and she’d _fucked up_. Now she lost what seemed like her only friend, because she was so desperate and needy enough to try and force something that was impossible to begin with.

 

When Sasha found her, she was lying on the gritty seat curled up tightly, cuddling up against a small and scratchy cushion and gripping tightly at the cloth covering it. After carrying her to her bed, carefully as possible so to not disturb her well-earned peace, the older sister just sighed, disappointed, in herself and in Lily. As much as she could play matchmaker, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'd say im sorry, but i'm not.
> 
> anyway this chapter isn't exactly what i'd've liked it to be, but i've been busy all week, what with the octo expansion, homework, fathers day, hell i went to pride! i hope you guys enjoyed it, and leave a comment because i'm a slut for validation


	8. Matchmaker/Lawbreaker

Luca was the first one there, surprisingly. Sasha gave a small wave to him, and he nodded his head up, raising an eyebrow.

 

“‘Ey Sash,” he greeted, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Where’s Kai?”

 

Her face immediately faltered. “So about that… I’m callin’ off the bet.”

 

With a snort, the boy huffed, “Why? Two weeks is coming up and you think you’re gonna lose?”

 

“No, it’s because i found my sister as a sobbing, crumpled heap on the couch after coming home from going out with Lil.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Sighing, she slipped into a seat, mumbling. “I decided to let Kai stay home for today, ‘cuz she’s still upset n stuff, yaknow?” She looked away. “Can’t help but feel guilty.”

 

“It ain’t your fault,” Luca assured her. “Things just weren’t supposed to happen, or something.”

 

She nodded quietly, glancing back down at her phone. “I kinda forced Lil into it, I don’t really think she was ready.”

 

Voice gruff, he repeated, “It’s aight.”

 

Sasha looked up. “Okay,” she sighed, pulling a face. It was obvious that she wasn't, but pointing it out would just make her feel worse.

 

In an uneasy silence, the two sat, with the shorter girl twitching every so often. Luca watched her, glancing up from his own phone occasionally to check if she was alright. Stuff like this wasn’t his strong point; if anything, Sasha was definitely the best at comforting others. It just sucked that the opposite was true for herself. ‘Practice what you preach’, or something like that, but the girl never did, instead letting her emotions stew inside of her and refusing to talk about them. Even if Luca hadn’t known her for long, he knew her enough to be concerned when she got like this.

 

After a while, he adjusted his signature mask, rocking back on his back two chair legs. “You wanna turf? I’ll let you borrow my shit, obviously.”

 

“Huh? Wait, really?” Her eyes lit up as she whipped her head from her phone.

 

He grinned, though she didn’t know it. “Yeah, sure. Don’t you dare touch the carbon roller though.”

 

***

 

The great, loveable Kai, maker of the worst decisions this side of Inkopolis.

 

And oh, what an absolutely horrible and terrible choice she’d decided to take.

 

Who knew how many days it’d been since she last crawled out of bed - One? Two? A week? More? She didn’t know, and she didn’t want to know either, in all honesty. The lumpy, bumpy, scruffy, hole-ridden mattress was her solace, the sharp springs poking through the layers and spiking at her skin, scratching up old scabs and scars. She couldn’t even sleep, the worry and anxiety chewing at her unceasingly and causing horrible bouts of insomnia. Most of her days were spent curled up underneath her blissfully heavy duvet, blocking out the cold and wrapping herself up in apathetic self-pity. On the occasion she poked her head out, it was most likely to have a drink, or to reluctantly take a few bites of food that her sister insisted she finish. The face that Sasha pulled every time that she’d walked in to give her another meal probably stabbed at her more than anything. She was so disappointed in her desperately helpless, completely unloved, totally useless little sister. Kai didn’t blame her - she agreed wholeheartedly.

 

As always, Sasha would leave for the day. Someone had to pay for their rent; the younger girl was obviously out of commission for a while, and they could barely scrape by as is. The older one’s oddjobs and salmon shifts had definitely helped, though that day she’d decided to take a break, just hang out with Luca for a while.

 

“I’m off!” she called out, only to have a weak mumbled reply from the other room, followed by a brash slam of the front door.

 

Deciding to sit up, Kai gasped out a breath as she felt her head throb at the movement, vision blurry and spinning. Cod, she was almost laughable, she thought to herself as she staggered to her feet, stumbling across her tiny room. Rubbing at her eyes, she took a quick glance at her mirror, gaze sweeping over her hollowed eyes and deep, purplish bags underneath. Even her ink had become paler, a washed away blue in place of the deep indigo from days ago. She quickly snapped her eyes away in shame, covering the small stand with an old shirt.

 

She hadn’t changed her clothes in a long while, and stripping the old fabric away was almost chilling. Maybe a shower was in order later, but now she just tossed on a fresh hoodie, one even baggier than the one she wore before, without bothering with a bra, almost reaching her mid thigh and surely covering up her shorts underneath. Spraying some old body mist in an attempt to make herself somewhat presentable, she choked on some of it as she inhaled. It burnt in the back of her throat, but it wasn’t the worst sensation she’d felt the past few days. It was almost grounding, as her eyes stung and she coughed uncomfortably.

 

Shoving her keys into her short pockets, Kai swung herself out through the window. This was becoming a common theme, she found, hauling herself down one of the metal support poles instead of climbing down the stairs. Of course, she could easily leave her home through the actual door, but where’s the fun (and possible chance of death) in that?

 

Unfortunately, the girl made it down safe and sound, without even a scratch on her skin. She walked, almost on autopilot, to the square, taking a back route to minimise the amount of people she’d encounter, knowing the experience wouldn’t be enjoyable for either party. Too late she’d realised that she left her phone on her side table, so she awkwardly shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets, digging her nails into her palms. Shit, what was she doing? This was such a bad idea. _We all know how fucking well it goes when you go through with a bad idea._

 

It was sunny, blindingly so. The sun bore down on the tired inkling’s body, and Kai almost had to squint, too photosensitive from her time spent holed up in the dark.

 

Before she knew it, she found herself in that broken, beat up alleyway from however many weeks ago, completely abandoned. It was so dark, cool and comforting, and Kai aimlessly lurked in the shade. The ginnel was fairly hidden, a tiny and narrow gap between buildings, and the light shone from above through a tiny crack between rooftops, casting stark and strong shadows that bounced across the walls. She didn’t even hear the soft rustling from behind her, until a voice called out to her.

 

“Kaira?”

 

The girl snapped her head around quickly, feeling almost sick at the sudden movement. Her voice was barely a hoarse whisper, she hadn’t talken much in a while. “Oh.” She coughed out the lump in her throat. “Uhh, um, hi.”

 

Straightening her back, Ilya looked at her. “What are you doing here?

 

“Huhhoh? I…”

 

What she was doing was being ridiculous. Running off to some back alley and crying to a dangerous, brooding octoling who really couldn’t give two flying shits about her or her feelings. And she was alone, the only emergency communication she had lying stupidly near her bed in her haste to stop being a hopeless, mopey sod, and in realisation, she choked out a sob. She was completely numb, finally recognising just how useless she’d become, over some stupid shithead girl who probably didn’t even give a second thought to how badly affected she was. “Are you okay?” without a single caring tone in her voice.

 

“I’m, uh, fine,” she whispered, struggling to breathe. “Yeah… I’m alright.”

 

Caught in her throat, her heart beat wildly, straining against her chest. “I’m okay,” she insisted, beginning to shake and tremble.

 

_She never even cared about you. She just lead you on to kick you over when you were down._

 

It was hard to talk when you didn’t have oxygen. “I’m… I-I’m s-so alo-one. I d-don’t want-t-to be alone.”

 

Then she started to wail, not even caring how loud she was as each sob echoed off the thick, bricked walls.

 

She was a fucking idiot, and if Ilya killed her right then and there, she wouldn’t fucking care. She’d welcome it.

 

A pair of arms wrapped around her body, warm and soft and strong. Kai’s knees nearly buckled at the touch, falling further into the taller girl as she tried to hold her up. In pure shock, the inkling just froze before the stronger octoling brought her firmly yet gently over to an overturned crate, sitting her down in her lap. She didn’t even think to be conflicted as she flung her arms around Ilya, turning her body to sob loudly and unabashedly into the junction of her neck, burying herself into the octoling, nails digging into her back. Mouthing silent, hoarse screams against her shoulder, Ilya could do nothing but rub small patterns across her back in quiet assurance.

 

“Do-do you need to talk about it?”

 

Gradually calming, Kai tried to steady her breathing as she looked up into the octoling’s eyes - or as close as she could. Frowning, she mumbled, voice still raw with tears, tracing a finger over the cool metal mask, “You ever take this off?”

 

Ilya furrowed her eyebrows, as if irritated, or worried, but she nodded, wordlessly pulling it off her head, working her black tendrils out of the straps.

 

Cod, she was beautiful. Her eyes, a bright, blood-blue, were wide as she looked at the world unobstructed for the first time. The delicate patterns lining them were so much different to that of an inkling’s, the lower lid accented with a heavy black, almost identical to her swirling tendrils. Kai couldn’t help but breathlessly trace the path that the girl’s gaze took, watching her inhale heavily and take in her surroundings in complete awe, jaw slackened just enough to let out a breathy gasp. Their eyes met for just a brief moment, one that lasted much too long, before the inkling quickly darted hers away.

 

This was kinda fucked, considering why she was here.

 

After that brief awkward silence, Kai coughed, raising a hand to cover her growing blue blush. “Right… I, mmmh…” she muttered quietly, quickly remembering why she was so upset, why she was here in the first place. “I’m sorry… I don’t know where to start, I…”

 

Looking back up for guidance, Ilya just nodded down at the girl, smiling softly as she kneaded lightly at her hoodie-cloaked small of her back. She took a deep breath. “So I… I went out with a friend a couple days ago, just to hang out, yeah? We had fun… well I think we both had fun. I had fun. And we- ugh, shit, um.” She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I’ve known them for a while, now. And, I thought we were…” trailing off, the inkling cried out again, whimpering into her shoulder.

 

“It’s okay, You don't have to say it if you are not feeling comfortable.”

 

She shook her head. “N-no, I should tell someone. I just… I tried to kiss them, because I thought they wanted to, because I thought they were hinting at me to do so, but I was wrong, and I rushed it, and I made some dumb mistake and lost one of my only friends. I’m such a fuckup, I ha-” Her voice hitched when the octoling wrapped her arms tighter around her waist.

 

When the younger girl looked up again, she found Ilya staring at her with such big, caring eyes. _Weren’t octolings supposed to be these heartless, soulless, killing machines?_ she couldn’t help but wonder, immediately feeling guilty over applying some hundred-year-old stereotype.

 

“You are okay,” she mumbled. “They are losing out, because from how you have treated me so far, you are the nicest inkling to exist.”

 

Kai held her breath, tears stinging her eyes as she let herself sink into the octoling once again, who immediately responded by tightening her grasp around her waist. “Shh, you are okay.”

 

“Wait,” she murmured, reaching to the side. “You dropped this as you were leaving.” As she opened up the notebook, some scribbles filling the first few pages, the octoling slipped out one of the torn pages, handing it over to Kai.

 

She’d noticed it missing long before now, before… well.

 

The drawing stared her down, sneered at her. As if taunting her, as if it was the girl herself who jeered at her for being so foolish, for letting her emotions get the better of her. Kai choked again.

 

“That- that’s Lily,” she whispered, a hoarse and strained noise. “That’s who I was talking about.”

 

Clutched tighter, Kai found herself entirely in the octoling’s grip, easily being lifted into an even tighter hug, making it even more difficult to breath. “I’m sorry Kei, I’m so sorry Kei Kei.” Her voice seemed genuinely regretful, sincere. Though, she suddenly stiffened, lowering the girl down. “I-”

 

“No, it’s alright,” she smiled, melancholic. “Y’know, my sister calls me the same nickname. _“It’s okay, Kay,”_ and all that.” It felt pleasant… like the girl was finally adjusting to having her around.

 

Sighing out, she felt the octoling relax. “Nickname… yes.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's real short, im so sorry !! i was really swamped with writing projects, and i had to put this fic behind all my english homework, despite wanting to focus on this. don't worry, i should hopefully be less busy next week, although the week after that i won't be able to post again, because i'm going on a school trip to paris (and my crush is going on the same trip...) but that's a conversation for another day, haha. i hope you enjoyed!
> 
> edit: fuck me i forgot to put in a chapter name, how exhausted was i last night
> 
> edit 18/7/1 (originally posted 18/6/27): completely rewrote the scene between kai and ilya. i was pretty unhappy with it and now i feel a lot more confident about it, so i hope you enjoy it! also, kai......... no...... (and if you were wondering, i have further news on my crush! i have absolutely no chance with her.)


	9. Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im really sorry (also i rewrote the entirety of last chapter if you didn't already know and want to reread that before reading this)

With a grunt, the commander slammed her fist into the squid-shaped punching bag, the tape around her knuckles beginning to curl and unwrap. She clenched her hands tighter still, swinging her weight with every punch, letting out a litany of growls, snarls, hisses. Every hit to the poor, beaten-to-the-ground dummy echoed off the stiff fabric in a satisfying thud, low and solid-sounding.

 

It wasn’t even as if she had much to complain about. Her squadron had been thriving, almost to the point of rivalling their performance prior to her defection. Their attitudes to work was at a similar high, following the arrival of the new sargeant. Though this could be a sign not to understaff or neglect the Corp, it could also be telling of the commander that she simply couldn’t work in less-than-optimal conditions, and that she would be much better replaced with someone more competent, for lack of better words. Perhaps, when she was inevitably promoted once more, Yuuki would take her place, as she had with Ilya and second-in-command. Or even Seola, who had quickly shown her worth and her potential in the short time she had been deployed.

 

She dispelled the thought with another punch.

 

The training rooms were always abandoned so late in the day, when the lights were dimmed and the caves were dark, and there was no sound but the harsh pounding that reverberated off the walls. It was why she preferred these times to train, quiet moments alone, with the gleam of artificial moonlight casting a soft glow on her dark, exposed skin. Ears perking, she heard the door click close, but she carried on without skipping a beat, sensing her anger slowly dissipate with another person in the room; solitude usually made her mood sour further.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied the person with dark carmine tendrils, two long ones framing their face, with the other two tied up at the back, and they rested easily against one of the towering, rocky walls by the entrance, legs outstretched slightly and arms crossed. They seemed to be watching more out of curiosity, rather than inspiration, or in contempt.

 

She felt the intruder’s gaze rake across her body - they weren’t even trying to hide it - though she didn’t blame them. Her outfit was simple and practical, and left near to nothing to the imagination. Low waisted shorts and a plain sports bra were both black in colour, hugging her warming skin tightly, and her tentacles were swept up in a long, high ponytail, swept to and fro with every staggering hit. The onlooker trailed their eye up to her neck and her shoulder blades, and she huffed in amusement. Not as if she minded the attention - not by all means. Considering the thought of giving them a show, she decided it would probably be best if she confronted them head-on, rolling her shoulders and grinning. She swung again, knocking the squid dummy into the wall, before it sprang back as quickly as it was hit.

 

Smirking to herself, Keiko gave one last punch before turning to face the girl in one swift movement. “Like what you see?” she snarked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“No, do carry on,” Seola replied, pushing herself off the wall, arms crossed below her chest. “I was enjoying myself just as much as you seemed to be.” Her eyes strayed to her commander’s flat, toned stomach, a thin sheen of sweat over her skin, and she made a pleased hum.

 

Quietly chuckling, Keiko ambled towards her, hips swaying easily with every step. “You too?” she asked softly, bending down slightly and playing with one of the girl’s shifting tendrils, licking her lips slightly.

 

Grinning, Seola just let her tongue poke through her teeth, running it slightly over her sharp fangs. Her commander let out a sigh of relief, and the sergeant felt her smile grow wider. “So, weren’t you the one who suggested some more training for me?” She felt a chill of anticipation when she saw the senior octoling’s eyes harden in challenge.

 

Instantly, Keiko pushed the girl back into a wall, retreating to her own at the opposite end of the hall. “Skirmish match: no weapons, no ink, no lethal blows. If you’re pinned, you’re out.”

 

The sergeant grunted in affirmation, smirking to herself slightly as she picked herself up with a huff. She may have had the upper hand at first, but the roller main knew her advantages would be in unpredictability, more so than physical strength and force. Glancing up at the commander, she waited for the sign to go ahead.

 

With a nod, they both fled from sight, and Seola instantly moved to a stack of towering crates, creating a wide platform on top, and dropped into a crouch behind the largest one. Feeling her ears perk, she listened for any soft footsteps, hushed breaths, but there were none. Was she staying still as well?

 

Investigating, the sergeant leered out from her cover, surprised when she saw nothing in sight. There wasn’t much in the room to begin with: a few squid targets on varying levels around the sides, some uncleared boxes, and several perches that were built out from the walls, but nowhere that the commander could feasibly hide in. Cautiously, she hauled herself over the crates, easily strong enough to heft her body weight around at least twice over. Keeping her breathing under control, she settled in a crouch, looking down over their makeshift battlefield, eyebrows furrowing further as she couldn’t find her at all.

 

There was a loud clang of footfalls on metal, echoing out from above, and before she had time to react, her commander had dropped through the rafters with a wicked grin from ear to ear. Upon impact she instantly ducked into a roll to break her fall, close enough to the sergeant to push her off the platform with a kick to the stomach. She hit the ground on her haunches, scowling that she’d been caught off guard.

 

Sprinting away, the sergeant saw her commander chase after, catching up to her quicker than she could run. As she backed into a corner, she could see the smuggest smirk on her face. Advancing further, the commander saw her opponent slip into her ink form and dive beneath her, and she spun around wildly, her reaction a touch too late as she felt a heavy boot force her against the harsh walls of the room.

 

When she went for a second swing, the commander ducked at the last second, laughing lightly before she quickly swept a leg around the back of the sergeant’s knees, and sending them buckling as she collapsed onto the floor again, onto her back. Her shuddered breaths suddenly hitched as Keiko pressed her foot on Seola’s chest, not forceful or harmful, but declarative. “That settles that,” she hummed quietly.

 

Steadying herself and her breathing, Seola grinned back, sharp teeth bared. “I guess so.” She braced against the floor, slowly pushing herself up. “Though skirmishes aren’t as fun as spars, for me at least.”

 

Keiko held out her hand for the girl, smiling down kindly. “I would beg to differ, although I want to thank you.”

 

Gingerly, she took the hand. “Why would that be?” she asked as she was hefted up by her commander.

 

She glanced away from Seola, letting out a sigh, almost wistful sounding, gave a grin that didn’t seem too genuine. “Training here alone is great, but company is always pleasant.” The roller main narrowed her eyes, waited until her commander looked back at her.

 

“I heard about Ilya. I’m sorry.”

 

“Yes…” she mumbled, smile immediately faltering. “It was unfortunate.”

 

It had grown just as quiet as before, with neither girl able to respond. Finally, voice weakened and quieter, Keiko mumbled, “We came here, nearly every night.”

 

Seola nodded for her to carry on, with her best attempt at a supportive smile, unsure of whether to reach out or to listen. As she pressed herself back against the rocky, uneven walls, she slid down, folding her legs neatly underneath her and gesturing for Keiko to join her. She followed, the confidence from before quickly diminishing and disappearing as she sat down, crossed her legs. “Thanks,” she muttered quietly, tracing a pattern down her thigh and refusing to look up, and the smaller girl just reached over to squeeze her hand lightly, encouraging her to speak and let out her thoughts.

 

“We’d come here together, work off some steam from the day. It started off as just a friendly thing, challenging and competing with one another on how many reps we could do before tiring out, or sprints from one side of the hall to another; sometimes we’d even spar.” The commander smiled, just barely, as she spoke. “She was amazing at sparring - she had much better strength and stamina. But I always beat her in speed.” Chuckling, she sighed, “it was so incredibly rewarding and satisfying to wind her up, dodging each kick with a swift dive and ducking every punch while she snarled playfully.”

 

“Things escalated from there. They were bound to - so many nights alone, in such close proximity… I remember the days where the most I’d touch her was an accidental brush, or the rare occasion that I had landed a hit. Nothing more.” As she tore her gaze from the floor, Seola realised her amusement beginning to falter, replaced by a soft, melancholic pout. “As we spent more and more time together, I realised how different she was, from how she was in the squads to how different she was with me. How she had started teasing me more and challenging my plans whilst we discussed tactics in battle, how she became quiet and more pacified, more comfortable around me. It was such a subtle shift, but I had an attention to detail” She huffed out in mirthless amusement. “She loved that about me, especially further into the night.”

 

Her voice was barely a whisper, as if she was scared to even utter her next words. “I became attached,” and Seola winced. “We became closer still, and we both felt it. I cared about her so much, and even if we wouldn’t admit it…”

 

She shuddered out a shaky exhale. “I… apologise for this. It is completely unprofessional and-”

 

“It’s alright.” Seola flashed her a grin. “We’ll find her.”

 

Keiko furrowed her eyebrows, finding it in her to smile back, just slightly, and before she could say her thanks, the younger girl spoke once more, “How about a couple spars before we call it a night?” The flash of anticipation in her eyes was unmistakable, and Seola only smirked in response.

 

***

 

Holding fast to the handle of her brella, Agent 4 hopped off the top of the inactive Flooder, swiftly opening the canopy to shield herself from the octopods skittering towards her, who exploded in a bright flare of sticky pink ink. She quickly shook it off, trying to imitate how Marie would do so, before closing it fully and diving into the nearest patch of her own yellow ink to wash off the few streaks that had landed on her. As she jumped back out to head across to the locked fans, the flashing marker of a superjump appeared in the middle of the main platform, and she quickly darted back, once more flipping open her brella in case they splashed down.

 

Upon landing, they instantly slammed down their roller, sending a thick wave of magenta crashing down on the ground, covering the entire surface of the brella in their ink, and causing a few drops to splatter over it and onto the agent’s helmet. Another flick shattered the canopy easily. Four dove away, the large splashes in her ink alerting the octoling of her position, though she was much too quick, slipping out of her ink and blasting the back of the enemy with a warm yellow. They hissed and sunk into their own turf.

 

Four stepped back slightly, trying to spot the octoling lurking in their ink, but there were no trails or streaks anywhere. A shot at the spot they stood at before told her that they had definitely moved, and there was no cover to hide behind anyway. Gingerly, she opened her brella, crouched as she advanced towards the next checkpoint, holding her shield towards where her opponent once was, before turning on her heel and running towards the vault.

 

A dark chuckle rang from behind her, and instead of a curtain of heavy ink, or the slam of metal against her side like she would have expected, she felt herself grabbed by her tentacles, and her head crashed into the harsh, cold concrete face down. Thank cod for her armour, the poor bicycle helmet that was beyond disrepair when it had fallen off. It clattered as they kicked it aside, before grabbing her wrists together and crouching down to eye level, forcing her to look at them with another yank to her tendrils. She forced herself not to squeak or cry out, instead, gritting her teeth and snapping her eyes shut.

 

The octoling snarled something in Octarian she barely understood, and their Inklish was heavily accented. “Look at me,” they rasped, mid-pitched and gruff. “ _Look at me_.”

 

Four finally looked up, staring at them mutinously, nose twitching. “I’d love to if you’d let me up.”

 

Further narrowing her eyes, her attacker roughly pulled her up, only to slam her onto her back with a grin, arms pinned under her back with a hand right over them on her body. “I’m sure you can see just fine like this.” Their smile seemed to widen in amusement as they saw the sick, webbing wound over her cheek that had just began to scar, the glowing pink pulsing a sickly purple that branched out in every direction from a central ring, patterned almost like lightning, a disgustingly botched and blotchy transfusion. When the agent only huffed in acknowledgement, the octoling continued, “You know one of us disappeared. Tell us where she is.”

 

“What?” she replied, genuinely confused. “I don’t know where she is. I don’t know why you expect me to know.” A clawed hand to her throat made her jump, the semblance of pressure enough to make her start panicking. She couldn’t just squid form to escape - they could easily grab her again or she could still be bound considering her position if she did - and being strangled was different to being splatted; she just wouldn’t come back. It was hard to quench the sudden thought that nobody would care.

 

Again, the octoling hissed, but they sensed her anxiety and fed off it, swiping their tongue over sharp, shiny teeth. “ _Lies_. You’re using her for information, you’ve got her trapped, I bet. She won’t talk, she’s better than that.” As Four tried to squeak out that she didn’t, that she didn’t know where she was, and that she hadn’t even seen her in weeks, the choking grasp at her neck refused her, and her eyes were wide in terror, limply trying to kick and struggle her way out, only making the pressure worse.

 

About to sneer some more, a quiet, voice from the headset of the octoling, hidden somewhere in the arms of those glowing goggles, rang out, instantly pacifying the fuming enemy. The agent wouldn’t be able to make out any words even if she spoke the language, but suddenly the octoling was reluctantly easing off her, spitting out the words, “this isn’t the last of me,” before swiftly taking their roller up and swinging it cleanly into the agent’s side and throwing them off the platform for good measure.

 

When she respawned back at the mouth of the kettle, Four instantly crumbled to the floor, clutching to herself tightly as she gasped in desperate breaths and trembled violently. Marie was already running towards her, ditching the sombre umbrella and aloof act for genuine worry and hurt.

 

“Four!” she exclaimed as she quickly scooped up the girl in her arms, who immediately buried her face into her shoulders, slumping completely into her. She sounded so unsure, so completely disappointed in herself, mumbling, “I’m so sorry… I could have never expected anything like that to happen...”

 

Through choked and shallow breaths and sobs, the newer agent stammered, “N-no, it’s… it’s alright. I was- was too-” her breath hitched and she clung tighter to the former idol, and she held her breathing, before trying again, slowly letting air fill her lungs. “It was them… the one- the one who di- did-”

 

Marie nodded, holding her tight and silently asking her to stop talking, to focus on breathing. Lightly tracing the lines on her cheek, wiping a tear from her eye, she smiled solemnly, snatching her hand back when the younger girl winced in pain. “Shh… you’re safe now. They can’t get you here.” They both sat there for a while, the older girl allowing the younger one to steady her breathing, to ground herself in her surroundings.

 

“They asked where ‘she’ was… the escaped octoling. I tried to tell them that I didn’t know, because I didn’t, but they didn’t let me.” Gulping down another breath, she whispered, “I didn’t even recognise them, I think they were ‘her’ replacement, so why would they care so much?”

 

The former idol hushed her. “It’s okay, you need some rest. If you’re too weak, you can stay in the cabin with me, so you won’t be alone either.” The girl quietly nodded, and Marie slowly lifted her up, keeping a steady pace as to not frighten or startle her.

 

“I’ve noticed how stressed you’ve been, and it’s been worrying me for a while how much you’ve forced yourself to finish these missions. I should have said something sooner,” she mumbled, almost to herself, as she walked across to the launch pad.

 

Four shook her head. “No, it’s my fault too. I should take more care of myself.”

 

The journey back to the outpost was quick yet quiet, blissfully so. As Marie gently set her down on the bench in front, she pet her head, the younger girl letting out a strained chuckle, and she finally let her body relax, curling up to try and rest. The older one perched beside her head, having just one last question before she let her sleep. “You didn’t tell anybody about the escaped octoling, did you?” but she had already dozed off. The former idol sighed, a melancholic smile touching her features, before pushing herself up to grab a blanket. She trusted that the girl had better sense than to go yelling about it or spreading harmful information, as she spread the thin fabric over her pale body. And anyway, she deserved the rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look, i dont want this to be a huge wall of excuses, but a lot has happened in two weeks that's really fucked up the making of this chapter. the monday of the week i was supposed to post, i had to tell my crush about my feelings before i was properly ready and got rejected, and i'd lost motivation to do anything more than i had to for a while. then i also had to pack since i was off to paris for half a week. i hope this was worth the wait, and i also hope to get my schedule more organised, because im honestly really excited for what's to come next and i really hope you guys will enjoy it too. comments are always appreciated, even if it is just to yell at me for not getting this out earlier, haha.


	10. Messy Shifts/Caught Amiss

It was the same setting before, as it had been for a while. Despite everything happening at once, nothing had really changed, and nothing really ever changed no matter what; it was strange how easy it was to fall into a routine for something as erratic and irregular as their jobs were.

 

The two sisters walked hand in hand, with the smaller one pressed against the taller, clutching the older’s arm tightly with her other stuffed in her hoodie pocket. Early in the morning, much earlier than either would’ve preferred, the sun had risen but the fog cast the sky a gloomy and grey colour, and there was a soft chill in the air, just slight, but much more so than was usual for this time of year. Their quiet conversation was overshadowed by wind and by the ambient noises of the sing of car tyres against concrete, the revving of motors and the splashes of water as they drove over shallow puddles collected in potholes. Birds chattered aimlessly, and rustled the leaves, trees, and bushes as they hopped from branch to branch, their shrill song no more than an annoyance to those still asleep.

 

As they approached the square, Kai’s grip suddenly tightened, and she clenched her jaw shut. Sucking in a breath, she tried to relax, sighing out heavily when she realised they were the first ones there. A sudden squeeze to her other hand shook her out of her momentary panic, and she quickly darted her gaze towards her sister, eyes more wide than she would have preferred. Smiling kindly, Sasha’s eyebrows were furrowed in sympathy as she quietly assured her sister, “hey kiddo, don’t worry. Lily said she was too busy and tired to work this shift.” She didn’t know if she felt better or worse - she wouldn’t have to face her poor friend that she misread so wrongly, but she’d also felt responsible for driving her away and causing a sudden rift between the group. Conflicted, she gritted her teeth, feeling them grind with the movements of her jaw.

 

Taking a seat, her sister noticed this and looked away for a moment, before grabbing at her pockets and fishing out a crumpled package of gum, holding it out to her. “Want one?” she asked, handing it to her as Kai silently nodded. She folded her arms on the back of the chair in front of her, as she sat with her legs either side of the metal rests, taking her phone out and checking her texts.

 

**saaaaash 4:49**

dude where are ya

 

**buff the rapid pro 4:52**

Something came up. Don’t think i can make it.

 

**saaaaash 4:52**

its literally the buttcrack of dawn what the fuck are ya doing

actually dont answer that your probably gonna say some disgusting shit

 

**buff the rapid pro 4:52**

oh you know who im d

Fuck you dude i’m funny okay

 

**saaaaash 4:53**

course ya are

 

**buff the rapid pro 4:53**

It’s just you and Kai today then, right?

 

**saaaaash 4:53**

yeah

what do you think shed do when lily eventually joins back

 

**buff the rapid pro 4:53**

I don’t know, but i might try and talk to her today.

 

**saaaaash 4:53**

good luck trying to find her

 

Kai quietly shaking her arm prompted her to look up. “Where’s Luca?” she questioned, voice hoarse as she spoke up for one of the first times today.

 

“Said he was busy,” she replied. “Just the two of us, and I get if ya don’t feel up for it anymore.”

 

Quickly, she shook her head. “N-no, it’s fine.” Quieter, she mumbled, “I should help you anyway, all I’ve been doing is sitting about all day and wasting my time.” She fumbled with her hands, leaning onto the metal table and rested her head on her arms folded underneath, shoulders hunched self-consciously, further hiding her face. Her eyes were half-lidded and tired, as if she didn’t have much sleep, which wasn’t far off the truth. Sasha tried to assure her that it was okay, that she didn’t have to feel that way, but Kai shook her head. “It’s been a while since I last worked, and I was getting kinda bored anyway.”

 

Giving a comforting smile, the older sister leaned over and tousled the smaller’s tendrils, who squeaked and huffed back in indignation, which caused her to chuckle lightly. “If ya sure.”

 

“Yeah, I am,” she bit back with a petulant mutter, making her sister laugh harder.

 

Pushing herself up, Sasha grinned, “ya ready to go then?”

 

***

 

Slipping out of the blood orange in perfect unison, the four squids gripped their weapons as the sirens blared out to signal their first boss. Kai clenched her fists around her slosher’s fluorescent orange handle, just a touch brighter than her colour, as she threw the ink onto the dirty, uneven ground, diving through the metal grating to smother the driver of a Steel Eel, the clanking scraps and hissing ink fountains building to a crash as it fell apart. Armed with a pair of crimson dualie squelchers, Sasha rolled out of the way of a landing Drizzler and into one the the eggs, tucking it under her arm before falling back into her squid form, grinning at her sister. She spotted a Splash-o-matic snatch the third egg out of the corner of her eye as she flung another curtain of ink over a wave of lesser salmonids.

 

One of their teammates, the blaster this round, had insisted on killing every boss they laid their eyes on, jumping from Scrapper to Stinger to Steelhead, no matter their weapon or the timer, even going so far as to refuse to pick up a single golden egg, as if thirsting for the thrill of the kill as opposed to actually doing their damn job. Sasha had snarled at them once before, and had the right mind to shove em in the water before the group was jumped back onto the boat - Grizz was contractually obliged to res them, right?

 

As for the other one, they seemed fine enough. During their last wave though, after the two sisters tried their best to scurry enough eggs to reach quota, for some coddamn reason, the fourth inkling had decided to rip open their special packets and open every single ink geyser on the spawning grounds with a bright orange beam, causing an inescapable flood of chum, cohock, smallfry alike, swarming the four and completely overshadowing the glowing Goldie that hopped from grate to grate, chuckling and sneering as the slimy salmon turned to retreat. And after that, they hadn’t even learnt their lesson, tearing open their last stingray all for the same result.

 

Both bickered incessantly for almost the entire journey back, a long hour or so that kept dragging on and on, before Sasha had pointed out both of their many, many,  _ numerous _ flaws in their tactics, idly mentioning how she should’ve been more supportive as opposed to offensive and how Kai should’ve been more cautious and aware of her surroundings, just to seem impartial. Though she recognised it, it still sat badly in the younger girl’s stomach, feeling as if she’d let the team down. 

 

Growling as she sat down beside her sister, Sasha rolled her shoulders and clicked her jaw, crossing her arms. “It’s ridiculous - how are they in profresh?” The younger one would just nod in response, not paying much attention to her complaints, feeling the fake jab stew in her.

 

By the end of it, the two hadn’t lost their rank, at least. Some rounds were excellent - the whole team would work quickly and efficiently to maximise their yield, and they would leave with promise of increased pay grade and a healthy helping hand to their bonus cards. Others, unfortunately, had been caught up with unlucky weapon assignments, inescapable teamwipes, or, as their first shift of the day, were completely incompetent. So, though they hadn’t lost their pay grade, they didn’t have any improvement either.

 

Despite that, they’d earnt just enough to pay for the rest of their utilities and necessities, with a small amount left between them. Sasha insisted that Kai kept it all, saying that she deserved it for getting out and helping. She eventually yet reluctantly agreed to take it just to shut her up, though she couldn’t help but feel guilty and undeserving of it, even despite her sister promising her it was alright.

 

***

 

With her thin collared hoodie drawn over her face, her old, thick sweats that were too short for her legs, and the hollowed, empty expression in her eyes, she looked like an absolute mess. 

 

“Hey,” he sighed, giving his best apologetic smile as he stood at the door. Lily stared at him for an uncomfortable beat too long, although it seemed like she was staring straight through him, like someone caught up in a daydream about watching paint dry. As if only just realising his presence, she jumped suddenly, bringing her arm up in front of her.

 

When he shot her a confused look, she breathed out heavily, before stepping aside to let him in. “O-oh, ahh, right.” She stuffed her hands in her pocket. “Hi.”

 

Stepping in, Luca took a seat on the sofa, leaning against the soft back and slumping into the cushions. “Fuck, forgot how comfortable everything in your house was.” His gaze wandered over to his friend, who seemed to be staring into the kitchen. Shuddering out a breath, she walked into the other room and disappeared from his view.

 

“Do you want some tea?” she offered, voice sounding strained as she called out, hoarse and uneven. 

 

“Coffee, c’mon Lil, you know me.”

 

A few minutes later, she stumbled back out, setting one mug atop a coaster on her coffee table and cradling the other in her arms as she sat down on the other end of the seat, like she was trying to steal all of its warmth and comfort. Frowning even more, Luca tried his best to move closer without startling her. “Hey dude, are you alright?”

 

Once again, the girl was lost, staring out of one of the windows. “Lil?” Shaking her head violently, she hissed as a small splash of tea seeped into her sleeve.

 

“Ahh, oh no,” she mumbled, more apathetic than anything. She turned to glance at her friend, a look of concern and worry on his face. Quietly, she looked away, staring at her feet and trying not to shake. “Um, what did you come here for?””

 

Luca stared at her harder until she looked up again. “I think you know.”

 

For a while now, her friend had been trying his best to come visit, and to check up on her every so often, though whenever he came around, the apartment was completely empty, and none of her neighbours had known where to look for her. He tried searching around in the square, in Deca Tower, through various shops, the quieter streets that he knew she liked to lurk and to listen to music in when she was alone. Everywhere that Luca went had come up unsuccessful, and he chalked it up to just missing her or that she’d returned home, but it didn’t sit well in his stomach. Perhaps she had decided to work a couple shifts by herself, though Grizz hadn’t mentioned anything about it, or even brush up on her weapon skills, since it’d been a while since the two had gotten the chance to join a league together.

 

Now, she was sat there, barely aware of him. It was quite late into the day - the sun still hung contentedly in the sky and it was a bright, cheering blue - and birds were cooing and calling to one another, the faint trill and chipper echoing through empty streets. Lily seemed happy to focus on anything but him.

 

Sighing, he tried to start, “look, I know I’m not the best at this, but-”

 

“Does she hate me?”

 

Eyebrows scrunched together, he questioned, “What?”

 

Lil looked at him, eyes widening for a moment before they returned to normal. “She hates me, doesn’t she. She wants nothing to do with me, and that’s why you came, right?”

 

He was even more confused. “No, ‘course not! Why would she?”

 

“Because I...“ Huffing out a loud, exasperated breath, she cried out, feeling her muscles tense up in annoyance. “I rejected her! I was an idiot and got scared and panicked, so I ran away like I run away from all of my problems - she wasn’t a problem and I didn’t think of her as one! not at all - but I upset her and I made her cry and I hate myself for it.” She took a deep breath, trying to steady them and ground herself, and as the other began to try and comfort her, she cried out, voice muffled by the fabric, “I really like her. I want her to be happy and I want to be with her and make her happy. But I got scared and I ran away.”

 

Luca nodded, trying to take it all in. “Why do you think you got scared?”

 

Frowning, she curled in further into herself. “I know why.”

 

The confusion set in once again, “Why then?” he asked, trying to gauge the taller one’s reactions.

 

“I can’t tell you.” 

 

“Lily, I promise, you can trust me wi-”

 

“I  _ can’t tell you. _ ” Her tone was firm and declarative, and Luca almost flinched back. Immediately, the girl darted up, desperately mumbling out, “I’m so sorry for snapping Luca, I- I just-”

 

A quiet chuckle shut her up. “It’s alright,” he assured her. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not alright with it. I’m not that much of a dickhead, am I?” Lily shook her head. “Do you want me to leave you alone? I can tell how stressed you’re getting.”

 

She nodded. “Y-yes, I think that would be best.”

 

As he pushed himself up, he groaned, grinning down at his friend. “I’m stealing your damn couch one day, I swear.” That brought a quiet chuckle out of her. “And anyway, text me if you need anything, will you? Don’t want you suffering alone and all that.”

 

Forcing a smile, Lily mumbled, “I’ll try.”

 

He left, leaving her sat all alone with an untouched mug of disgusting black coffee - it was much too bitter for her tastes, and she preferred her tea anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pacing? who is she
> 
> sorry for the delayed update, if im honest it was mostly me procrastinating and not being able to concentrate for long enough, and it might be because this chapter was mostly just setup for later ones and being kinda boring in general to write compared to the later ones. and here's a heads up: im going camping at the weekend so next week will probably be delayed too! im sorry, genuinely, but ill try my best to get some out as soon as possible
> 
> disappointing that team octo lost, and not just because i was on it. i guess its time for em to be thrown back underground again because everyone loves a wholesome and friendly Race War that closely mimics what was probably an actual genocide rip
> 
> i have the pearl and marina amiibos too now, thats good, i love them
> 
> also i hate the earlier chapters of this with a passion, i've realised as i was trying to reference them and i'm 100% gonna rewrite them at some point, might be soon or it might be after i've finished the entire story. who knows dude not me


	11. Regret/Hate to be a Threat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first half of the title was originally called 'Eight, Regret' in reference to one of the tracks on octotune that i listened to whilst writing this. you don't have to, but i think it kinda fits the chapter nicely.

Slamming her palm on the table in front of her, the second-in-command gave a seething glare at the girl before her, leering down at her as she leant over the hard surface. She watched her try not to flinch in her seat.

 

“What you did was extremely irresponsible and entirely unnecessary,” she spat, before snapping back and straightening her back, as if trying to compose herself.. Her hand was at her side, gripped in a tight fist.  “What were you thinking?”

 

Seola stammered, “I-“

 

“Quiet.”

 

The lieutenant was more terrifying than she had any right to be. Though she wasn’t overly tall or short, she was sleek and toned, face pale and pointed. Her eyes were narrowed and brows drawn down, and she held her head up, peering at the sergeant below her through slitted pupils at the corners of her eyes. Calmly, her short, bobbed tendrils swayed, almost uncharacteristically so for how truly irritated she seemed to be. They were smooth and well looked after, to be expected from such a prideful person, a glossy onyx black with a more matte, creamy underside, dipping down just past her jawline and hovering over her shoulders, curled only slightly at the tips. She seemed almost as if she was snarling, teeth bore and clenched tightly in a grimace of mixed anger and disappointment.

 

Letting her arm untense, she continued, “Imagine the consequences of your little _stunt_ going wrong.”

 

“But it didn’t,” she pointed out, daring to flick her eyes up to her lieutenant’s, who held her gaze hotly. “I knew what I was doing.” She watched the lieutenant’s lips curl into a grim smile.

 

Crossing her arms, she asked, “then explain to me, sergeant, exactly what you were doing.”

 

Pausing for a beat, Seola answered, “I knew it wouldn’t be able to get away - it’s weak in close quarters, and-“ she was suddenly cut off by an irritated click.

 

Her lieutenant sighed, leaning back over the table. “No, soldier. I want to know, what were you doing - what were you _thinking_ ? _Why_ you did it.”

 

At her silence, she smirked. “As I thought.”

 

In all honesty, Seola _didn’t_ know exactly why she felt so compelled to interrogate the inkling in the first place. She didn’t even have anything causing stress or frustration to use as an excuse. It was something that she acted on out of impulse, rather than logic or strategy. Shell, not even Keiko herself had shown any sign of caring for the octoling gone AWOL, despite the one being closest to her, concerned for her wellbeing. Though, the poor excuse for a fighter wouldn’t be encountered for a little while, seemingly the only upside to this entire ordeal.

 

She settled her gaze on the table in front of her, too ashamed to even glance back at the girl reprimanding her, instead thinking of everything she would be stripped of: her role, her rank, her respect. Stepping out of line was highly frowned upon among the corps, and even the most minor infraction could get you thrown out, if your commander was particularly insensitive. She was extremely unlucky to have caught Yuuki’s punishment - at least Keiko would have some level of sympathy.

 

“You have heard plans of an infiltration, correct?”

 

Nodding, almost sure that she would be ripped from her first big mission, she whispered “I am aware.”

 

Letting out a sigh, the lieutenant stated, “You will not be removed from your assignment.” The sergeant exhaled a breath she wasn’t aware of holding, thankful for her mercy. “However,” she continued, much to Seola’s dismay, “you will be suspended from all future activities until further notice.”

 

“What?” she exclaimed, almost bursting out of her seat, palm braced on her armrest and back arched. “But-”

 

They met eyes. She quietly sunk back into her seat. “You are fortunate to have such a minor punishment for such a major outburst. You could’ve been sent in for intensive reconditioning.” The lower ranked girl could only nod in resignation, cringing at the phrase. Everybody knew what that meant… what they did.

 

“We have to assure that another breach will not occur.” Yuuki spared a glance at the despairing girl, and showed the smallest sympathetic smile, drawing her chair out and finally taking a seat opposite her. “You should keep in mind, your inactive period may be lessened or… ‘ _overlooked_ ’ depending on your performance during the mission.”

 

Seola’s head jerked up again. Yuuki’s smile widened, just slightly. “Wha-why?”

 

She chuckled. “I want to believe you’re a good kid. That this was just a one-off. You have so much potential - it would be so pitiful to have it wasted on useless emotions, meaningless attachments.” Dropping the smile, she wore the faintest scowl, as if disgusted by the fact. The sergeant’s eyes widened, only slightly, before meeting her lieutenant’s once more.

 

“O-of course, lieutenant. I won’t let you down.” Her back had automatically straightened; she held her hand to her head in salute.

 

Smirking once again, Yuuki hummed. “Good… _good_. You are dismissed.”

 

***

 

The surface was incredibly confusing.

 

At the first crack of thunder, Ilya  jumped violently, immediately throwing her hood on, confusedly looking for any sign of rain. There was none - the ground was completely dry; there wasn’t a single droplet to be found.

 

Sighing to herself, she kept the hood drawn over her tired face, and slumped back down into her ‘seat’, a small concrete step leading up to a door that had been barred and locked. Quietly, she curled up into herself, trying to conserve heat by tucking herself as small as possible, hands stretching the cuffs of her sleeves over her fingers. Sleep wouldn’t grace her once again, and she let out a muffled groan.

 

Most of her nights ended up like this, and though she was able to go a few days without rest, it was by no means voluntary. Her first few days and weeks she would refuse to close a single eye, glaring watchfully at the mouth of the ginnel, untrusting and unforgiving. Anyone who would so much as take one step across the line would suffer. Thinking back, perhaps that wasn’t the greatest plan. It would announce her presence in the city, first and foremost, especially if the inkling went and ran their mouth off, but she was scared. She was terrified, as much as she hated to admit it, but she was alone and defenceless in a towering and unwelcoming city, densely populated with the monstrous, greedy, self-obsessed inklings that so brutally murdered her own kind, over some small strips of land.

 

 _Maybe not all of them,_ she reminded herself gently. Kai was… so different to what she was taught. The inkling was definitely rough, though she had never shown her anything but worry and kindness, generously giving her just enough to sustain herself. Ilya didn’t even notice the flash of lightning as she decided that she was to offer something in return.

 

She found herself drifting off, settling back and letting her eyes fall closed, trying her best to relax and fall back asleep. Another crash of thunder jolted her back from her rest, and she growled.

 

Yeah… she wasn’t going to get any sleep like this.

 

With a grunt, she pushed herself off the step, gripping the rim of her hood and pulling it as far over her face as she could, before cautiously approaching the corner of a wall, reluctant to step past it, as if there was a line between where her ‘territory’ ended and the square begun. She stepped forwards.

 

Ilya found herself on edge, ready to lash out if anything so much as flickered across her peripheral. Trying her best to calm down, the octoling breathed out a heavy sigh, letting her shoulders fall. Nothing bad had happened to her yet - why would anything happen now?

 

Inkopolis was confusingly abandoned during the night. She’d expect to see inklings abundant, no matter the time or day, since it was always so busy, bursting with colour and life, countless inklings milling the streets - she’d watch them from the rooftops. At first, it was out of habit, collecting information, scoring patterns in her mind, familiarising herself with the city. For a while, the girl would just observe, to use everything she’d learnt about them against them. Though slowly, very slowly, she began to wonder if these monsters she’d been taught, that she’d believed were so malicious and merciless, were really that. They seemed harmless, even clueless, and most that she’d seen had been more occupied on looks, appearances, useless skills than weapons, hunting, or just octolings in general.

 

Lightning flashed before her, and her tentacles lit up a deep sapphire, casting a pale glow on the cement and concrete. She couldn’t help but chuckle lightly as she padded further into the square, recalling old, fond memories. It had been a while, she thought idly, since she’d reflected on her old squad. How she’d be useless in stealth missions because of her tendrils, or how she could thrash anyone in an arm wrestle, sometimes literally. The times during training where everyone would look to her for guidance, or the more private sessions in the dark with…

 

There was a reason why she hadn’t thought about it for a while.

 

She shook her head and sighed, edging further into the abandoned street. Being so used to squatting in confined alleyways, or perched atop roofs, seeing the city from the ground was dizzying - everything was just so big. She pressed her back onto the patterned white walls of what seemed to be a clothing store, staring at the massive storefront sign before her that was almost the height of the building itself. To the side was a colourful seeming, though dull-looking in the night, building that seemed to be primarily made out of glass, surely impractical, offering no security or safety at all. Hesitantly, she stepped away from the wall, venturing further into the road, hands clutching at the cuffs of her coat.

 

Stood in squarely in the middle of the open, the octoling gazed up at the tower, another round of thunder rolling in the distance. She jumped when she felt the smallest drop of water fall against her pale face, immediately ducking down and holding her arms above her head as the rain began to thicken. She came to her senses with a bright flash of light, and she was already sprinting as it began to pour.

 

A loud, scraping noise made her whip her head about quickly, turning the corner, and she spotted an inkling emerging from the same manhole that she’d climbed up from. Ideas immediately formed in her head, but were overshadowed by the sound of footsteps across the pavement, and she knew she’d be too loud trying to dash away. Stripping off the coat and throwing it to the floor, ignoring the blisteringly painful raindrops that caught her skin she dipped into her ink form pressed herself as flush to the ground as possible.

 

The squid came up, ears twitching and eyes narrowed. Their clothes were dark and covered their skin, a black mask with some sort of red insignia, and a vest drawn over their neck. It was the same inkling that she had faced so many times before, extremely tall for an inkling, even more so than herself, and with loose, long tendrils they wore down. Ilya closed her eyes, hoping her black blended well with the floor.

 

They dropped to their haunches, inspecting the waterproof that lay scattered on the ground, and traced the ground around it with their palm. Stilling her breaths, the octoling felt the squid catch the tip of her tentacle, running up to near her head, and she could do nothing but wait for them to stop, or realise she was there. Instead, they turned away and grabbed at the waterproof, abruptly standing up, but she stayed still, clutching it to their chest and burying their head into it. Then they clutched tighter still, before trudging away, not even pulling it on like she’d expected them to.

 

As quietly as she could, Ilya slipped out of her ink form when she knew the inkling was out of earshot, and turned the other corner into her alleyway, immediately falling to her knees as she processed what’d just happened. She was worried that it was too late for her to change texture, that she would’ve been captured and tortured, that she would’ve been made a public example to every other octoling. But, for whatever reason, what troubled her the most was that she couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that she had for losing Kai’s jacket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for taking so long... i've been fairly busy with a lot of different stuff and i struggle with time management. hey, remember when this fic was weekly, every wednesday? those were the days hah
> 
> if you're wondering about ilya, i have a headcanon that octolings can change the texture of their skin! real octopi do this with muscular hydrostats, which can create little bumps and protrusions (or basically move without skeletal support), and is the same structure that tongues are made of. i thought it was a pretty interesting concept that i wanted to touch (heh) on slightly. however, most octolings dont bother with it in everyday life, due to the amount of energy/time it would take normally, and reserve it for emergencies, like the one at the end of this chapter.


	12. The Square/Self-care

Staring at her reflection, Kai stood on the tips of her toes as she bounced her tentacles with her hands, having finally decided to do something about the asymmetry and cut them short. They came up just past her jaw, and were surprisingly even, considering she did them herself. Of course, Sasha had to help her at the back, slightly longer and in layers, the longest falling just between her shoulder blades. She couldn’t help but chance a smile at herself as she fell back onto her heels, before pulling on a beanie and holding her hands just by her ears, glancing down at her outfit once again - a dark green, short sleeved flannel, patterned with white and a deep blue similar to her ink colour, she wore loosely over a pale grey undershirt, and a basic pair of black shorts. It had been a while since she’d tried something new, and what with her hair and all, it seemed like a good time to do so.

 

Taking a glance behind her, she grabbed the pale hoodie that hung off her drawers before hastily stuffing it into her bag and shrugging it onto her shoulder, almost skipping into the next room.

 

“Hey,” she greeted her sister, her smile still hanging onto her face.

 

Her sister looked up from the workbench, cocking her head slightly, face looking tired and focused before lighting up. “Heya kiddo, someone’s in a good mood” she hummed, looking her up and down. “Wow, it looks like ya actually tried to look nice for once.”

 

She huffed in response. “Oi,” she chuckled, “I wanted to try something new.”

 

“It’s definitely workin’” her sister assured her, leaning back on her chair and groaning loudly. “Cod, I’ve been workin’ on this shit for hours.”

 

Quietly, she hummed, trying to get a better look at the bench. As always, there was various hardware scattered about, along with small hand tools and various, crumpled grits of sandpaper and buffing pads. They were all pushed aside in favour of a scruffy, dogeared, and roughly folded spread of paper, covered with concepts for what looked like a weapon, laid beside what seemed to be a final design, sketched out and lovingly annotated with slightly clumsy handwriting. It seemed to be built around a ripped engine exhaust, exposed wires running down the ‘barrel’ of the gun.

 

Staring at the design some more, Kai asked, “What’s it supposed to be?”

 

Sasha grinned back. “Like it? Got the idea at about five, been working on it since.” She chuckled at the face her sister pulled. “Grizzy wanted a charger, so i was planning to head out to Luca’s and bash this out the whole day. Gives me something to do, and ya know how well he pays for his custom weapons.”

 

She nodded. “It looks pretty cool. Anyway, I’m, uh, gonna go out for a bit. I’m wanted to meet up wit-”

 

“ _Oh,_ ” Sasha snarked, cutting off the younger one, causing a blush to spread on her face. “Is that why you’re all dressed up?”

 

“No! It’s...” she trailed off, fighting a massive flush. “It’s not like that at all.” Quieter still, she mumbled, to the point where the other would have to strain to hear, “she wouldn’t like me like that."

 

Snorting, the older sister turned back to her work. “Sure, sure. Have fun out there kiddo.”

 

Flustered, Kai clenched her jaw tightly, trying to calm herself down, before finding her way out of the door, clutching her hand tightly to her mouth.

 

_Ilya…? Surely that wouldn’t work… right? And what would everyone think of an inkling off out with an octoling?_

 

She shook her head. Shell, she didn’t even like her like that, did she? No, of course not. She should probably start walking now - that would be a good idea.

 

It was a beautifully sunny day out that day, without a single cloud in the sky. Well, that was a bit of an overstatement - there was definitely a couple there somewhere, nestled deep in the bright and pale azure, but that would just be nitpicking. Despite that, it was fairly chilly, especially for the time of year. Gently, the breeze whisked up some of the fallen leaves from the ground, carrying them off further away from where they had fell, some getting trapped into the few puddles left over from the previous night’s storm. Small droplets still clung to the metal banisters and railings, and dew was laid over the shimmering grass like a sheer blanket.

 

Glancing about the square, she made sure that nobody was looking directly at her before she made her way towards the octoling’s little shelter, somewhat surprised when she found the girl curled up, half asleep, and she coughed lightly in an effort to wake her. Ilya instantly bolted up, glaring at the intruder, unblinking, until she realised it was just Kai.

 

“Uh, hi,” she winced, not meaning to startle the octoling so much.

 

Ilya blinked a couple times before rubbing at her face. “K-Kai?” she mumbled, yawning quietly. “Why are you here?” She looked more confused than irritated.

 

She sucked in a breath. “I was wondering i-if you wanted to see the square?”

 

Blankly, the octoling stared at her. “I’ve seen it before.”

 

“No, I mean,” Kai looked away. “Like in the sunlight, with all the color, the lights, the inklings about.” As if realising how unappealing the last option was, she quickly mumbled, “of course, if you’re not-”

 

“But what about my tentacles?” she asked, looking down and dangling one of them limply from her hand. “They’re different to yours.” Turning her attention back to the inkling, she glanced at the length of her tendrils, opening her mouth for a second before seemingly thinking better of it and shifting her gaze away, eyebrow twitching and shrinking into herself the tiniest bit more.

 

The small inkling’s eyes lit up as she tried her best to restrain a grin. “Oh! I’m glad you asked.” Sliding her bag down her arm, she ripped the zipper open and held the hoodie out to her friend with a warm smile. It had become slightly unfolded from her rush, but it looked just as soft and warm and thick, a bright seafoam, with a white logo across the upper-right chest that matched the drawstrings. “Here- oh wait.” She plucked off the price tag that was tucked underneath the neck, crumpling it up and shoving it in her pocket. “For you.”

 

Stunned, Ilya stared at it for a while. “I- I cannot accept this.”

 

“Sure you can,” she replied with a hum.

 

Wordlessly, the octoling traced a hand across the fleecy fabric, with Kai pressing it into her, before taking it and clutching it to her chest. “Thank you…”

 

Watching her struggle for a second to put it on, Kai decided to take a step closer, waiting until Ilya had unfrozen before trying any more advances. She took the hem of the jumper and pulled it over the other’s head, helping to poke it back out by taking down the hood and letting her work her arms out herself. Ignoring how close they were, she continued by catching the hood and pulling it back over her head, brushing the stray tips of her tendrils behind the fabric, with the octoling flinching slightly at the touch. They stared at each other for a moment too long, Ilya opening her mouth once again before Kai bounced back with an even bigger grin.

 

“It looks pretty great on you, I’m glad it fits,” she complimented. “I’ve never really shopped for an octoling before, so I wasn’t sure what to get, y’know?” Ilya could only nod dumbly, refusing to look her in the eye. “You ready to go?”

 

“Y-yeah.”

 

With the way her hood was positioned, it was difficult to see the octoling’s eyes closely, and though it covered the majority of her tentacles, they squirmed and turned anxiously underneath, to the point where it was obvious. Picking up on this, Kai assured her she would be fine, and weaved their hands together, making Ilya freeze up entirely. She made to take her hand back, mumbling, “ah, too much, I’m sorry-“ surprised when the octoling squeezed it lightly, before nudging her to carry on walking.

 

When the two reached the heart of the square, Ilya’s eyes were wide, trying to take in the whole picture. They darted from sight to sight, inklings laughing and chatting, jellies idly wandering through the streets. Storefronts were bright and welcoming instead of stark and imposing, the once intimidating Deca tower lit up and shining with current map rotations, weapon advertisements, and brand sponsorships, neon pinks and greens and blues and oranges flashing and lighting up the bright LEDs. Down the opposite side was Crusty Sean and all the scattered chairs and tables that the four would always meet up at, with more inklings laid back in their seats, or staring down at their phones, others having lengthy conversations about weapon mains, gear abilities, whether having a certain weapon class was a necessity for a team.

 

Kai smiled at the awe on her face, leading her further into the heart of the square. “Do you like it?”

 

Barely a whisper, she answered, “it’s just so different...”

 

“From the, uh,” she realised she didn’t know where the octoling used to live. “Where you’re from?”

 

Ilya shook her head. “No, well, yes, but,” she furrowed her eyebrows. “In the night, it’s so dark, and empty, and there’s nothing. It’s like in the caverns, when there isn’t any electricity, and everything is dark and quiet and miserable.” As the two approached the Battle Lobby, she couldn’t focus on one thing, constantly turning and whipping her head around to try and take it all in. “But now, it’s so bright, and colourful, and...” Her eye caught something, and she suddenly surged through a crowd of inklings, yanking her friend forwards with bated breath.

 

“Huh? Hey, Ily-” she stopped in her tracks. The two stood before Off The Hook’s studio, the taller one gazing through the glass, eyes impossibly wide with confusion and shock. “Ah, right.”

 

Pearl and Marina were idly chatting, their conversation lively and animated like their stage personas, with loud seeming laughs and reactions, though it was toned down from what they were like on air. It was the taller one who noticed them first, smiling politely and waving both hands by her face, followed by the older one who grinned snarkily at the two and making finger guns, straightening her back, before they both laughed and returned to their conversation.

 

Softly, Kai asked, “did you know her?”

 

The octoling huffed. “Not _all_ octolings know each other. And anyway, she’s an engineer - you can tell from her tentacles.” At the confused look on her face, she elaborated, “She has teal tips, like how a squad leader has red, or a weaponsmith has indigo. Your society has an colour-based structure too, no matter how disorganised, don’t you?”

 

Raising an eyebrow, the smaller girl stated, “We don’t - wait, where did you get that idea from?”

 

As if it was obvious, she explained, “You always have either orange, blue, or pink ink.”

 

“I mean, I guess,” she admitted. “But I don’t play turf or ranked like most of the others. There, you get assigned a random colour for one match, and it changes every time you play.”

 

“But what’s the point in that? It’s an extremely inefficient waste of energy, to start off.”

 

Kai shrugged. “It’s more interesting, and fun, I guess.” Thinking, she suggested, “I could take you to a match - they’re normally open to watch for pretty cheap.”

 

They began walking away from the window, with Ilya casting another glane behind her, a flurry of mixed emotions. “No, I think that’s too much for today. But this was nice.”

 

Humming, the other girl nodded. “That’s fair, I hope this wasn’t too overwhelming. I’ve got one last spot to show you if you’re up for it, then we can buy some good food. Cod knows how long you’ve been living off the scraps I’ve saved for you.”

 

The taller girl looked down. “You don’t have to.”

 

“Sure I do!” She lead her over to the opposite side of the square, towards the currently closed Salmon Run… establishment. It definitely wasn’t a store, though she was sure that it wasn’t a legally registered business or corporation. “This is the reason why I always have the same ink colours.” She froze when they got to the entrance, sliding doors barred and covered in posters and graffiti.

 

There was a flustered, shaking girl stood between the bonus dispenser and the ramp, fumbling desperately with the little mask over her face. From what she could make out from underneath the thin turtleneck, there was dark purples, browns, and blacks blooming over her pale skin. If it wasn’t for the octoling beside her, she would’ve instantly ran away.

 

“Ahh, Kai,” she whispered, tracing over the marks and pulling her collar up. She didn’t believe it, would she really throw herself around like that?

 

She felt Ilya’s hand squeeze protectively at her own. “Hey, Lily.”

 

Coughing, her voice was slightly louder when she spoke up again. “I was about to leave, just checking my bonuses, haha. It was, um, nice seeing you.”

 

Kai hummed. “Yeah, nice to see you too,” before walking past her, clutching the octoling’s hand.

 

***

 

When she saw her, she thought she was imagining things at first.

 

Her tentacles were cut short, that was the first thing she noticed, and it was obviously done recently - and she was with another girl, her hoodie drawn up over her head somewhat suspiciously. The two seemed to be enjoying each other’s company, smiling and talking and holding hands. She knew that she should’ve felt happy for Kai, that she’d finally moved on and found someone else, but her chest just ached. They seemed to be heading over towards Grizzco, she realised, before immediately panicking.

 

Lily was sat on the little ledge beside the strange manhole, lurking about in that corner and hoping nobody would notice her, about to head off home. She was exhausted and battered, and wanted to pass out. But she sprung to her feet, jumping over to the little booth knowing full well it was closed, as a meagre attempt to explain why she was there in the first place.

 

Inexplicably, she struck up a conversation with the girl, despite everything in her telling her to ignore her, to walk away. Kai had instantly brushed her off, and she felt her knees buckle as the smaller girl pushed against her. She made off at a walk, but half way across the square she broke off into a sprint, just wanting to get home.

 

As she arrived, she locked the door and ran into her room, collapsing onto her bed with a muffled cross between a scream and a sob. In her exhausted, sleep deprived, overworked mind, she felt like she deserved this for upsetting Kai so much, for running away from all of her problems, for completely cutting herself off from everyone.

 

Reluctantly, she pushed herself up, pulling off her top, unclasping her bra, and finally stripping away at her mask. Before she could reach at some loose baggy shirt to pass out in, she caught her own reflection, and she was trembling again, breathing shallow, eyes filling up with tears.

 

Her torso was littered with pale white scars, angry dark bruises. Her neck was covered in them, a colourful array of maroons, violets, blues and blacks, concentrated near her throat, forming an almost diamond shape, with bright, thin pink lines, tracing a path from her neck to her right cheek, that were stained, almost soaked in the stark pigment, creeping up her chin and threatening to cross her temple. It had gotten much worse since she had first received it, to the point where it panicked her, but she refused to mention it to anyone, too ashamed and scared to bring it up, even to her mentor, So instead, she covered it up and ignored it, like the rest of her mistakes.

 

Throwing herself onto her mattress, she curled up around her duvet and finally let herself sob and pity herself, reminding herself that she deserved everything that happened, that nobody cared about her enough to ask why she disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "wHY dOes EverYBOdY THInk wErE DaTINg"
> 
> i hope at least one person caught onto this before this chapter.. i think the foreshadowing starts at about the conversation before lily and kai's date at snapper
> 
> give me a bit for the next chapter, it's gonna be a long one


	13. generic chapter that isnt an update but an excuse for not posting

aha nice

 

i wanted to get out the next chapter and attach this to the notes section or whatever but that's... really not gonna happen.

 

i'm gonna take a break from regularly posting for a while, and i can't say how long i'll be, but i promise i'm not abandoning this. that's the last thing i want. i'll take this time to go and update or rewrite every previous chapter if needed, as well as properly plan out and write down the future of the story instead of having detailed but messy ideas floating about in my head. i also finally wanna draw some refs and art for the story, something i've been putting off for a while in favour of actually writing a chapter. i'm most likely gonna post this on my [tumblr](https://exhostarr.tumblr.com/) (shameless plug, fuckin nice), as well as finally articulating my headcanons that i have, both in general and specifically for this story.

 

as for the excuses? i've just been feeling incredibly burnt out and exhausted recently, and i can't really explain why, and it's only gonna be even more downhill from here for reasons that i  _can_ explain but i don't feel comfortable doing so. i've been wanting to work on other things but feeling extremely guilty for doing so, which leads to my productivity on absolutely anything being nothing at all, and what i do manage ends up being forced and stiff. you might've noticed this starting at some point, what with my recent chapters being so erratic (and fairly shitty).

 

basically, i need a break from 'regular' updates, so i don't feel so forced to continue this, and i write it because i want to, the reason i started it in the first place. when i do come back? it definitely won't be weekly, but i hope to for it to be at the most two or so weeks between each new chapter, but i really can't say for sure.

 

thanks for reading the fic up until now, and i really hope you stick around for more.

 

-echo

**Author's Note:**

> hiya! this is my first fic, so drop a comment telling me everything i did wrong, thanks


End file.
